


2000 • k.l  • COMPLETED

by Lovely_Lani



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-01-22 16:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 30,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12486312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovely_Lani/pseuds/Lovely_Lani
Summary: "He gave me his sweater.""So?""It smells like him. I'll keep it forever""It's covered in cat hair."~.~It's freshman year, and Keith isn't happy to be attending a brand new school seperate from his old school district. He walks by an open classroom door after classes one day to reveal the cat club, a mix of one student teacher, a prodigy, one chef that's taking classes to be a  vet, one physical education teacher ,and one annoyingly cute lanky teenager. This is the start of Keith's actual life.





	1. Fall

Sooooo. Boring start-of-stories ish. Let's get this over with:

Ages:

Shiro-27

Allura-26 (ish..)

Lance-19

Keith-18 1/2

Hunk- 19

Pidge(eon)-15

_________________

Standing in the leaves of one of New York's bus stops, Keith Kogane stood there shivering. He'd been here since about 5am this morning, it was 7 now, and the bus still hadn't come by. There was even a warm Starbucks nearby, but he didn't want to miss his stop, or lug all of his stuff in there either. There were only a few more kids who looked college age, but they were all shivering together. Keith didn't have any friends attending the same school he was, amazingly enough.

According to all the kids at his high school, he had an issue with having his body figure out what temperature it was outside. He could see girls walking around in dresses and open-toed shoes in the mall and the Starbucks. It was roughly about 60-ish degrees, and Keith couldn't comprehend how they were comfortable. He wore a red sweathshirt and his headphones were around his neck. He wore his jeans and almost girl-ish off-brand- Ugg boots. He had a luggage and a few boxes on top of it, one contained his bed sheets and books, another contained his school books and supplies. His luggage held his clothing and more personal objects and pictures. His parents had almost begged him to take more things like a teddy bear or something to remind him of home, a lamp even. He disagreed.

Checking his phone again and looking both ways down the street, he sighed and decided the bus wasn't coming. He wanted to dial one of his friends almost autonomously, but he realized he was in a completely different state than his parents or the few friends he did actually bond with. It was hopeless. He didn't know what to do as he stood on the curb with so many people passing by.

After standing there listening to one of Pandora's radios, he decided to head into the Starbucks, hoping maybe that there was someone kind enough to give him a ride, or at least tell him when the next bus would come by.

He welcomed the warmth of the store, as he attempted to carry all three of his boxes without them falling, and he came to the front of the store to a young woman who had a nose ring. He immediatly regretted asking her, as she really didn't look like she gave an eff about anything.

"Whaddaya need?" she asked, directing her attention towards him, not even looking up from her phone. "Mocha? Latte? Pumpkin Spice?"

"I was wondering when the next bus came to that stop" he said, pointing to where he was just standing.

The woman smiled, and to him, it looked like she was holding in a laugh. She calmed herself down before putting down her phone and laughing while she talked.

"Okay *laugh* kid, it's Saturday. *laugh* no bus runs here today."

"Oh. Do you know another way to the University of Golden Valley?" he asked a bit rushed. She rolled her eyes, and sighed.

"Kid, hail a taxi. You got a car?" Keith shook his head. "That's what I thought. Hail an Uber or something. Golden Valley's a ways away from here, you ain't gonna make it before 8:30 if you walk."

"Oh."

"You got orientation today?"

"Yes."

"I graduated from there two years ago. Good school, weird kids, even stranger teachers. Football team's alright, cheerleaders are nonexistent really. Clubs are cool, I guess. Don't join any of the ones with the blonde girls handing out fliers."

"Why?"

"Have you seen 'Mean Girls'?"

"No...."

"Pretty much that in a club. Better off not doing that."

"Okay....I'm going to go now." Keith said, picking up his boxes and wheeling his luggage behind him. It wasn't that he didn't like the woman or what she was talking about. It was that he didn't like the woman or what she was talking about. He actually kind of assumed that she wanted him to stay so she could flirt with him, but as an 18 year old kid who starting freshman year in a new state where he didn't really know anything, he wasn't looking for any sort of relationship.

Leaving the Starbucks, he pulled out his phone and he saw a few taxis whizzing by. He eventually got the stupid app to callibrate in his new location, and he eventually got an Uber to pull over and take him to his stop. He assumed that the driver actually spoke more french than english, sadly, as he had to tell him a few times where on the map he wanted to go, but he then noticed the driver had hearing aids, so Keith assumed he was just deaf or/and didn't hear him very well. He thanked and paid the driver when the car reached the school.

Except, he missed his step when stepping onto the curb, and he flailed, dropping his boxes. No one turned around, and there just happened to be a puddle where he had landed.

"Hey, are you alright?"

He looked up from the puddle he considered his life to the two kids that had come to his rescue. One was blonde with brown eyes, wearing a slouchy sweater and shorts with shoes that were covered in mud. The other wore a yellow bandana/headband with a sweater and jeans. They both looked geniunely worried about him.

"So, are you mute? That's alright." The blonde said, as Keith heard their voice, he couldn't tell whether or not it was a girl or a guy. Their voice was soft and sort of sweet, but their short hair and clothing differentiated from that. They helped him up.

"Here. I think I got them all. Hope it wasn't anything super important in here." the other came up with his boxes and luggage, and he carried them all easily, which boggled Keith's mind, as he had been struggling with them since about four thirty-ish in the morning.

"T-thank you." He answered, taking his stuff from the guy.

"I'm Pidge, he's Hunk. First day? We're Freshmen too." they answered. Their name only confused Keith further on which gender the blonde reffered to themselves as.

"Y-yeah." he didn't know how to act around these kids. The lady in the Starbucks, the flight attendants, the people in the gift shops, they weren't very kind to him, or to helping him lug around his stuff, even though he had clearly been struggling. 

"Cool. I gotta get back to my dorm though. Maybe I'll see you around?" they asked.

"Okay." he said. As they walked away they shouted over their shoulder:

"By the way, I saw your face. I'm a girl btw."

Alright. So Pidge was a female. Interesting. 

Then he'd forgotten he didn't know where the dorms or anything else actually was. He almost wanted to run after Pidge and Hunk, but he didn't. He didn't know why. Maybe he would just wander for a little while.

Nope, he was not raised that way. He pulled out his phone for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, and pulled up the campus map. He started walking east, towards some of the teaching halls.

The campus itself was beautiful, it was decorated with all sorts of plants and their flag was on a lot of buildings. There were so many people, some with letterman jackets, others with cheerleader outfits, and more where dressed in casual wear. The girl, Pidge, was probably the shortest out of everyone, amazingly enough. There were so many people running around, Keith had to be like he girls he saw on T.V with books on their head not to drop everything.

He passed by a few more halls before considering how he was going to get up the stairs. He looked at the boxes, and then at his luggage. He looked around for anyone who didn't look like they would be remotely mean to him, but he sighed, and continued his trek into his dorms. Keith had almost dropped a box on the way up, and before he realized it, he'd climbed three floors above his dorm room. His room was 5-10, he was in front of 8-32.

Keith hadn't even meant for it to happen, but he'd gotten a room by himself. His parents had told him it was because there were an odd number of students in the school, but he suspected that it was because he had too many expectations for a dormmate. His application form had been full of his handwriting by the time he had turned it in. He thought it was great though, he wouldn't have to share anything with anyone. Except, they had said that since he wasn't rooming with anyone, his room would be on the end of the boys' hall, and it would be half the size of the other kid's rooms.

He put down his boxes and luggage and fished around for his key in his pocket, and he almost panicked, because he'd put it in his left pocket rather than his right, where he put everything he put in his pockets. He unlocked the door, and put everything in a corner, and passed out on his bed.

~.~

Alright. I wanted this to be longer. It wasn't. Sorry! Sooooooooo.. not gay yet. It will be soon XD


	2. Cat Club

When Keith came around, he looked outside to see it was dark out. Pulling out his phone, he noticed it was almost twelve hours after he'd arrived on campus, and he sighed. He was starving, an being the idiot that he was, he hadn't brought anything along that was actually edible, or meant to be eaten. Since he didn't know the area, and didn't feel like wandering in the dark to find the cafeteria, he decided to set up his room.

He had one pair of sheets, and a red comforter with a pillow. Now that he thought about it, the comforter he'd had for about five years now, back in eighth grade was when his parents had replaced the one that he'd slept with since he was six. The older one had pictures of Disney characters on it, so it was understandable why they had replaced it. Tossing it over his bed, he looked around. Since his room was half of one normal room, he assumed all the rooms had huge glass windows. Being on the corner of the dorm building, he had a view of New York's cityline after dark, and he made a mental note to get a blind for that. He took out his phone and took a picture.

Taking out his laptop from his luggage, he opened the screen to his screensaver back at graduation. He had been surrounded by people, and he had almost called off the picture. Keith was definitely shy. He liked other people, he just didn't like reacting to what they said and did to what he told them or did to them. He was definitely stranger than the other kids, and spent a lot of time to himself.

Keith searched up a few 24/7 restaurants around campus, eventually deciding on a Chinese restaurant down the street. He considered trying to find either Pidge or Hunk, but he realized that he'd never asked either of them where their dorms were. Keith knew that there were three dorm buildings, so he'd be wandering for a while. Even though he didn't have any friends here (yet his mother kept saying) and kind of wanted to be alone, he didn't for some reason. Everyone here seemed like they had friends here already.

He eventually decided to go, locking his dorm door behind him. It was easily freezing outside his room, so he went straight back in to grab his sweatshirt. It was so much warmer in his room than in the hallway, but he realized it was probably due to the fact that doors were open downstairs and it was probably snaking it's way through the building. 

Keith walked out into the cold air, trekking through the fallen leaves. There were a few stragglers, mostly students who were getting coffee, and others who seemed to be walking with friends or significant others. He put on his headphones, listening to a local radio station. He shivered. Looking back onto his maps app, he noticed that the Chinese restaurant was way too far from where he was, and at 8 in the evening, he doubted most Uber drivers were still out. He knew there was a Starbucks nearby, so he decided on a sandwich from there.

The lights were almost blinding, but it was prettier on street level than from his window. He knew that he'd passed by the Starbucks a few times, but he liked the sights. He made mental notes to stop by some of the stores he'd seen. He passed by a pet store, with a few dogs and kittens in the windows, some pawing at the window. He turned away, knowing that he'd probably be in there with the cat for some time. See, his parents had found him with a kitten back in the seventh grade in their house, only because he'd seen one in the window on the way home from school and he just decided he had to have it. They gave it away to their neighbors the next day.

He eventually twisted back towards the Starbucks, ordering a sandwich and a water to go along with it. He saw so many small children and their families pass by and order things, as they laughed and giggled about frivuolous things. Keith missed the days he'd spent with his family as a child, they were always so busy keeping their family afloat. Due to that, he often spent afternoons alone flipping through channels, napping, and doing his homework. Sometimes his parents would let him have a few of his actually extremely small pool of friends over. He never did actually take that offer, he was too much of an introvert to do so.

Keith eventually left the Starbucks, heading back to campus along the twisting sidewalk. Leaves crumpled under his footsteps as he walked back towards his dorm building. When he made it back, he considered going onto his social media accounts, maybe saying hi to his parents, but when he changed into a pair of pajamas, he fell asleep, conciousness slipping from his grasp.

~.~

Days passed, classes went on. Keith considered that he had nice enough professors, one was a little on the nutty side, his history teacher Miss Gray had them write out where they'd been, where they were in their lives, and what they looked forward to. She also asked some seriously personal questions, like whether or not they had the ability to empathize. He wanted to pass on the quiz, but she almost forced it down his throat by threatening to make it an exam grade. That shut him up pretty quickly, he had to admit.

Gathering his books when the bell rang, he had made plans to head downtown to explore later tonight, with no one but himself. It was Friday, and people were rushing about, people were throwing footballs through the halls while teachers shouted for them to stop, people were making out, people were playing tag in the hallways, Keith saw it as complete chaos.

As he was making his way back to his dorm, he came across a classroom where a cat crawled through the door's crack, almost making him jump, and he dropped his stuff. He picked up the cat, cocking his head in confusion. The cat licked his cheek.

"Keith?"

He turned, and saw a green wearing Pidge who took the cat into her arms. The cat meowed sweetly, licking Pidge's cheek like it did Keith's.

"What are you doing in the east hallway of the Eagle Hall at-" she checked her watch, "at 5 p.m in the afternoon after class?"

"Well, I was walking by after class and your cat scared me. Are you even allowed to have those on campus?" he asked, picking up his things and putting them in his messenger bag. Pidge looked away.

"Uh, not exactly.....but I'm sure the teachers don't care." she said, as a teacher walked by and she tossed the cat back into the room. "Okay, maybe they do. Can you keep a secret?" she asked him.

"Sure." Honestly Keith wasn't sure how to answer that.

"Well, are you going anywhere this late on a Friday?" she asked, trying to coax the cat back outside the classroom. "You want to just chill with us?"

"Who's us?" Keith asked, shifting his bag onto his left shoulder. Pidge rolled her eyes, and opened the door to what Keith thought was a music room turned club room. There were four people, excluding Pidge, one amazingly skinny dancer (from what he could see, she was wearing some sort of leotard), one with a white tuft of hair, another who was handing around muffins, and one in all blue hanging from a chair talking to the one with muffins. Now Keith would've found this as normal, except there were cats. Just cats walking around, some laying on what Keith assumed were their owners, and Pidge's cat, bumping up against his leg.

"Well, one of my more laid-back professors, Takashi Shirogane-we all call him Shiro- Allura, who I don't think has a last name, or hasn't told anyone, Lance McClain, our resident jokester, and Hunk Garett, he was the one who helped you out first day. And I'm Pidge Gunderson." she said introducing everyone. "Hey! This is Keith! He came to say hi!!"

Keith blushed immediatly, as he didn't like a lot of attention at all. Everyone turned, some waved hello, another shoved a muffin into his mouth. He assumed that one was Lance. He smiled at him. For some reason, Keith was sort of attracted to this one.

"Want a muffin?-oh, hey! Keith, right?" Hunk asked, handing him a chocolate muffin from his platter. Keith smiled and accepted the muffin.

"Yeah, that's me." he answered, unwrapping the muffin. Hunk smiled.

"Those are home-baked. And that's not chocolate." Keith eyed his muffin, questioning whether or not to eat it.

"Ha. No, they're not poisoned. They're vanilla cupcakes colored brown. I make them for the cats sometimes." Hunk answered, smiling. Keith noticed a flash of blue, and a hand reaching for another muffin.

"Lance you can just ask for another one." Hunk answered, as another cat wrapped around Lance's neck, a Calico from what Keith could tell. Lance ripped off a piece and allowed the cat to eat it off his fingers.

"But I don't want to..."


	3. Cat Club Pt. 2

"What exactly do you guys do?" Keith asked, taking a seat on one of the risers. The calico cat, which Lance had dubbed Blue (for whatever reason, since it was black and orange, and white), was seated next to him, sniffing his backpack. One of it's ears seemed as if at one point, it had something like an earring on it, and then was ripped off with the skin. It was missing from the top of Blue's left ear, which Keith sort of cringed at the first time he'd seen Blue, for it looked painful for the cat.

"Nothing much. Mostly we just kind of hang out. Hunk usually brings baked goods." Pidge answered, writing a few things down in her notebook. "Well, and we also question this phenomenon called 'the satisfaction of watching my students suffer until 12 am on Monday'"

"Translation?"

"Homework." Lance answered, playing with Blue and a string that he'd delibrately left a few feet in front of her. "Pidge, and most sane kids our age, dissaprove of this method. Don't you have any you need to get done?"

"I mostly get it done after school. If I have the chance, I usually get through most of during study hall." Keith answered, pulling out his phone. As they chatted among themselves, he found himself almost pulling away from everyone. Even the internet told him that he needed to yearn for situations like this. Why did he have so much anxiety? They were teenagers (well, four were) for Pete's sake! Not like they were going to judge him for the rest of his life.

Pulling out one his textbooks, he placed it next to him open to the page he needed, and pulled out his notebook. After about fifteen minutes, he'd finished an assignment, and began on another, ripping out another page and tearing it along the line. Keith had a weird thing for liking pages like that instead of just cutting it off. He'd managed to frustrate his friends, his family, even himself doing something so tedious like this. He had finally managed to get it the way he liked it, and he noticed another paper like it nearby. He sighed and picked it up. Written in blue pen was a heart in the corner, which he deemed the paper unusable for class then.

Throughout the hour he spent there, kitties kept coming up to him to sniff, to roll all over his stuff, to play with his boots, his phone, his earbuds, Keith dissaproved of these cats trying to get him to cause a scene and be forced to be social with everyone else. One, who was a deep black and seemed to be kinder to his things, sat on his right foot for a few moments before being called by who Keith thought was Shiro. That kitty was trained and came immediatly to it's owner.

Nobody really made an effort to talk to Keith, which he was just with. He had been more distracted than usual, so he didn't get as much as he usually did during Study Hall, which slightly dissapointed him, but he guessed he had more fun watching everyone else. He'd only just looked down when he heard a loud "ow!" from who he identified as Pidge. He looked back up, when Lance had made up some dumb excuse to justify his actions.

"Oh! Sorry Pidge! I was aiming for Keith."

That little-

Crumpling up a piece of paper, he chucked it at the boy, and he pretended to be hurt. "W-what? I-I just wasn't ready. Pidge I'm not ready to die yet!!"

Idiot.

Three more pieces of paper hit him in the head, almost as if they were guided for that place themselves. Tossing aside his things, he grabbed them and chucked them at various members of the club, scattering the cats, one of which, Hunk's cat Yellow, went over to sniff one of the papers. An all out paper war began, and it was almost the entire club (it didn't include either person over the age of 25) pitted against Lance and Keith. Keith assumed they were all against Lance because they were taking their anger out on him. The room was filled with the laughing of both teachers and the club, hisses of cats, and the almost white noise of papers flying across the room.

Shiro eventually ended their small fight, but not before Keith and Lance were hidden behind a desk, working together to knock Pidge and Hunk out of the match. Multiple times Keith found himself blushing, which he was sure Lance questioned, but they were laughing too hard together for Lance to really decipher what exactly Keith was blushing for. While he just kept crumpling papers with Blue nearby, hiding out in the corner, he eventually found Lance had the better aim, so he stopped getting hit with paper and let Lance be the canoneer.

Once Keith had finally unfolded himself from the void called the bottom of a desk, he gathered his things and checked his phone. It was already 7:30 and he'd barely touched the mountain of homework he had. Keith panicked and threw on his jacket and bag, and he was almost out the door before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you leaving already?" It was Shiro, who looked like he was packing up himself. Keith nodded.

"Keith!! You can't leave yet!" Lance said, tossing on his coat, shouting from the other side of the room, picking up his kitten, who immediatly licked his face.

"Why?" he asked skeptically. Were these all kidnappers waiting to murder him in cold blood with nobody in the halls?!

"It's Friday Keith. You know, Fajita Friday! Well, actually, it's more like Chipotle Friday, because Hunk forgot that they didn't serve fajitas." Pidge answered, packing her backpack. "Now that you are a member of this club, come eat dinner with us!"

"Member? I never agreed to this!" Keith proclaimed. "I have a bunch of homework to be doing, you never even asked me and-"

"Really? C'mon Keith, I can tell you have zero life, you're just a pathetic small child who has no friends and-" The look on Keith's face only made Lance have a cheekier smile on his face, as he rambled on and on about how pathethic Keith's life was and how he didn't have any friends. Even Keith himself knew that he was trying to trigger the crap out of him.

And it did. Lance was already in the hallway, and Keith may have had the height disadvantage, but he bolted after the lanky teenager. He could hear Pidge say "I feel like I should just get a picture of his face and then put a triggered bar underneath it. Meme of the week". He didn't care though, and kept running after a giggling Lance. He looked back, and he ran straight into a wall. Keith laughed in triumph, seeing as Lance's shoes didn't have any soles like his did, but then he realized he'd changed his shoes after school yesterday, and he was wearing his other ones that had zero traction. He skidded trying to stop, but ended up toppling onto the still recovering Lance. They both ended up on the floor, except Keith had ended up on Lance, literally only a few inches from them both ending up with their lips on each others.

"Hey hot stuff." Lance said, making Keith jump up and blush madly. He could hear Lance just laughing against the wall, and he kicked him, springing tears from his eyes.

"Keith, you didn't hurt him, did you?" Pidge asked, coming up behind him. It sent shivers down his back, seriously scaring him.

"Not exactly." he put his head into his hands, sighing. "Though I sort of wish I did."

"Why's he laughing so hard?"

"Have you checked him for mental stability yet?"

"No......why?"

"....Never mind that"


	4. I need a new Installment

Chipotle run anyone? XDD

Yes, I actually do this IRL.

______________

"Just pick one!"

"But I want all of them!!"

This is what Keith was faced with after a half an hour of walking to a Chipotle in what he assumed was freezing weather, waiting to eat at a Chipotle in downtown New York, and he stood behind a troubled Lance, who was indecisive in what he wanted on his tacos. 

"Just say you want all of it." Pidge answered. Lance shook his head in disagreement.

"But I want guacomole...but I don't have an extra 50 cents to be spending...." Lance answered. Pidge rolled her eyes. 

"You're so indecisive sometimes. Just say you want everything but that."

The cook on the line definitely looked a little bothered, so she just moved onto the others. To be honest, they'd probably be here after three am if they let Lance continue being indecisive as heck.

Keith had already started on his math homework by the time Lance and Pidge came back from the line, Pidge easily looking ticked, Lance almost looking proud of himself.

What was bothering Keith the most of his Drama class's homework. His professor had assigned homework to do a bit of improv, and then record it and turn it. What still bothered him was the fact that until about 6:30 that day, he had no one to record with. Now he just didn't want to ask anyone. What if they thought it was kind of weird or something? He had already crossed Lance off his list, the guy was insufferable. Pidge had said that she was really busy working on homework and such, and Hunk needed to go in over the weekend to work on something. His teacher was oddly specific that it had to be someone of his 'age group'.

He didn't even know where to start.

"Keith? You've been staring into space for the last five minutes. Are you alright?" Allura asked curiously. "Are you still hungry? Are you sick?"

"N-no, I'm fine." he said, rubbing his temples. "Just a bit tired from thinking too much."

"If you're not hungry, I'll eat your taco." Pidge said, her hands crawling towards his basket. Keith shrugged and pushed it over to the girl in the hoodie, who immediatly began munching on of Keith's three tacos, which she passed to Allura, who took the entire basket. If she was a dancer, like he assumed at first, then that made sense.

"Hey, are any of you free at 3pm tommorow?" Lance asked. "Stupid project we're working on in class."

What? Did Lance major in drama too? Oh god it was going to be a long year if he did. It was also true that he ignored most of his class' peers antics, so it made sense if he didn't notice Lance in any of his classes. He would need to be more observant from now on.

"I've got homework to do. Putting off homework is like a bad hangover. I'll be busy all day tommorow." Pidge answered, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry Lance."

"I've got a bit of work to do tommorow, I won't be free at that exact time." Hunk said, licking his fingers clean of the salt from the chips he'd ordered.

"Oh. Well, Allura? Can you help me? I mean, you dance, so you know how to act right?" Lance smiled widely, as Allura began laughing. For what reason, Keith was a bit concearned to say the least.

"Lance, we talked about this. That would be cheating."

"But! It's not cheating if no one knows!"

"Yes, it still is Lance." Allura said, smiling knowingly. If Keith didn't know better, he probably would've said, from this conversation itself, that Lance and Allura were easily dating. Strangely enough. "Why do you need a partner anyways? You act fine. Do some improv for me, maybe I can see what I'm working with."

Keith had stopped paying attention by then, as he had then diverted his attention back to his other assignments, and when his pencil broke, he looked up to Lance's eyes, as he smiled as what Keith could only decipher as flirtatious. His face immediatly went red, which Lance only smiled further at.

"Don't you love me, darling? I could take you places no one could ever dream of~"

Keith wasn't sure how to take this, and scratched the back of his head. "No?"

"But why?! I love you, you love me~"

"We barely know each other Lance, I met you three hours ago."

"B-but, think of the children! What will they say when they find you and I don't truly love each other like their fairytales say parents should love? THINK OF THE CHILDREN!"

"L-lance-"

"Are you cheating on me?!"

"Lance."

"How could you!?"

"Lance."

"I've loved you for sixteen years! Doesn't this mean anything to you anymore? Have you had too much to drink? Is it lust you wish for, I can give-"

"LANCE." Keith said, a deep red shade almost purple, the same color his headphones were, maybe even darker. By then Pidge was in tears laughing alongside Hunk. Even Allura and Shiro looked like they were trying to hold in a laugh.

"I-I got all of it." Pidge said, holding up a phone that had a galaxy case, which dinged, signaling the video had just ended. "How much editing do you want on this, Lance? It was pretty good."

"Got to say, my acting skills are getting better. You look like a tomato Keith." Lance said, winking at the teenager who had his head in his hands.

"Keith?" Pidge asked, after Keith lifted his head and grabbed his things.

And with that, Keith left the restaurant, with Lance calling after him.

"Keith."

"Keith you had better not walk through those doors!!"

The bitter cold of the autumn night bit at Keith's nose, cursing at himself for not bringing a scarf along, as even he knew it was to be cold that night.

Though he knew Lance was acting afterwards, and when he mentioned children, he seriously thought that he was being honest about liking Keith in a romantic manner. Since the beginning of eighth grade, Keith had never even considered the idea of liking someone, after his parents had out a workload of homework on his back, got him into extracurriculars, and had him start learning languages. The first one that his mom suggested was Spanish, or something interesting like Japanese, or even Korean. 

Neither of which Keith even wanted to aspire in.

But he'd never considered his sexuality in that way. Sure he'd had a few crushes in middle school, but mostly girls which were grades above him, way younger, or out of his league in the social ladder.

How did he feel about Lance?

Idiot. He'd met him three hours ago.

Not like Lance liked him. At least truly. In this fantasy he'd concocted up they loved each other.

Keith didn't really know. 

Not now.

Probably not ever.


	5. Video Number Infinity

tbh it's 7:26 am before I go to school. im supposed to finishing homework when i started this chapter XD

_________________

To be honest, Keith wasn't really sure if he should return to the 'cat club's room after the events of yesterday's..............improv act during dinner the night before. But considering there was still an improv assignment due on Monday, and classes were still going on. And the fact that he still had no friends are aquantaniances other than these five, Lance was probably his best bet to get this assignment done with. Awkwardness aside, he hoped.

And that's why, at 2:30 in the afternoon, he was in front of the club room's door. The one thing that he still needed to finish from the night's worth of homework was the improv assignment, but what he hadn't figure out was how to stop Lance's attempts to flirt with him from getting into the video.

Better now than when I run into him.

Yet this thought came true when Keith turned the knob on the club door and found it was locked. The light was on, it had to be open. Yet because there was a curtain over the window in the door, so he couldn't see whether someone was inside. He looked around, and began tugging on the door, but it stayed firm. Tugging harder, it gave a bit, and after twisting it again, it became firm again.

Was that laughing?

There was a 50-50 chance someone was holding the door shut. Keith took that chance. He kicked the door, and gave before his foot made contact with the door. His boot stopped only a inch in front of Lance's face.

Keith had never been so embarassed in his life.

"Note To Self: Never enrage Keith." Lance muttered. Keith apologized profusely. Lance only laughed, which only bothered Keith further.

"Anyways, I brought a camera." he said, pulling his most prized possesion from his bag. Lance smiled.

"Awesome. I was planning to use my phone." He said, smiling sheepishly, holding up a phone decorated in blue. Keith sighed, what kind of person had he agreed to work with? At this rate, the best grade they'd get would be a C. If Keith let them work that way.

"What exactly are we doing this on?" Lance asked, pulling his laptop from his backpack. Keith shivered, and when he turned around, Blue was nestling into a spot next to him. He would've prefered if the cat wasn't involved today, but there was nothing he could do right then.

"What do you mean? It's improv."

"Exactly. We take a topic and do a skit on it."

"Right."

"What topic is it on?"

"....I didn't think about that. I thought you'd come up with it." Keith admitted, yawning. Really he'd been napping since about 9 that morning, as he'd just woken up, he wasn't fully awake yet.

"Well then! I planned this!" He said, typing frantically on his laptop. "We are doing our skit on.....a father and his son."

Keith only turned red and set up the camera in response.

__________

Pidge had just finished up with the last weekend class she had that day and decided to wander back to the club room, hoping someone was avaliable to do something interesting. Hunk probably wouldn't be back for a while, but Lance did say he was working on something that afternoon.

See, Pidge had two options, she could go find Allura (who was probably smooching the crap out of Shiro) or go and spy on Lance, whether or not he was flirting with another girl. To be honest, being friends with Lance since early senior year, she had determined that there was a logical reason why Lance couldn't stay in a commital relationship. He was easily just as straight as a rainbow after a storm. Yet she often presented this idea and it got nowhere. Lance just kept denying it. Because it isn't gay if you deny your feelings as a rivalry, he says. Who was he rivals with anyways? That boy had never made sense.

Though the door was shut, and there was a window on the door, there was a problem. Pidge, at 5"2, couldn't see that far up very well.

"Curse these damn builders." she said, holding herself back from kicking the door in rage. Jiggling the door, she cracked it open, peering in and then closing it.

Opening it again, she found the two in the same position, Keith dumbfounded and blushing on top of a laughing Lance who kept him pinned down. Rustling through her backpack, Pidge pulled out her phone and began recording. She giggled, opening the door again and sneaking behind a desk, she would have so much to show to Allura later.

________________

Keith was not happy with how this improv session ended up.

First of all, neither knew how to start the improv, so Lance randomnized the improv again, and they ended up with 'a conversation between a gay couple'. Keith didn't want to do it at first, and almost begged the teenager to have them do something else, but being the shy cherrybomb that most of his other friends claimed him to be, he didn't say anything but almost turn purple with embarassment.

"C'mon Keith! It's not that hard, just dance with me!" Lance whined twenty minutes after they'd gotten set up and recorded the first part of the improv act. "You know, like Ruby and Sapphire from Steven Universe!"

"Lance, we are not capable of fusing like two fictional characters alright?" he said, almost laughing, biting back a full-fledged grin. "Besides, I'm an Alexandrite." (A/N BEFORE YA'LL START TYPING: tbh it's probably the future now, season three has aired, and Keith has an official birthday now. Right now, I say screw that. I picked something, so screw it XD. The birthday I picked for him was June 18th because reasons)

"Oh. So you're like Garnet then! She's already a fusion!" Lance said. Keith sighed.

"She's already four gems. Garnet fuses and becomes part of Alexandrite."

"When did you become such an expert?"

"Being home alone half the time leads you to find out new things."he shrugged. "Do you want to get started or not?"

"Okay, okay. How exactly are we going to do this?"

"Beats me, I thought you'd have an idea."

"What makes you think that?!" Lance asked. "Have you met me?"

"As of 24 hours ago, yes." He answered.

"Point taken. But seriously, just come and dance with me!" he whined again. Keith sighed in defeat and embarassment. He took Lance's hand in his, and Lance spun him around expertly.

"Love you."

What the-oh. Keith almost wanted to laugh. It was improv, he had been given a prompt. He was supposed to take it and run with it.

"I-I love you too." At that point he cracked a grin, the situation was just too funny. Lance was almost at the point of laughing. Even Keith knew the delivery of that line was just too awkward for the moment.

"Really?" Lance questioned. Keith was still in the almost bliss, dreamlike state from the fact he was holding in a laugh. What he did next suprised both of them. He laid his head on Lance's chest (Non-existent, he made note of) and even though Lance may not have been able to notice, he probably looked like either a plum, or a bright red apple. (A/N I'm taking the idea that Keith is a few inches shorter than Lance, like imagine Lance is like 5"8, so Keith is around 5"6-5"7.)

What Keith didn't notice was how red Lance himself was. He thought it was hilarious. Except, he was trying to move backwards, and he tripped on his backpack. They both fell, Lance beneath the bright red teenager, and he found Keith's navy blue eyes (A/N Again, I know, but to be honest, I didn't feel like writing out, 'Keith's blue-purple-black eyes because that sounds unnatural. XD) staring back into his.

Well, this improv session went further than originally expected.

"L-lance.."

"Yeah?"

"Do mind letting go of me?"

To be honest, Lance had forgotten they were improving, more concearned about Keith, and whether or not someone's face was supposed to be a unnaturally dark shade of red.

"Do I have to?"

That had thrown Keith off his game. And he realized that the camera was still running.

"Not necessarily." he answered. Or whatever that mistake was. Lance seemed to just ditch his original plan, and their bodies got closer, their lips only a few centimeters from one another-Keith didn't really know metric meausurements that well- and Lance's dusted his before he heard a high pitched squeal.

Immediatly leaping up, he saw the top of a green box. He turned off the camera hurriedley, and rounded the desk, and found a Pidge, phone in hand, and probably still recording.

"I'm going to need your phone" Lance stated. Pidge chucked it.

"Nope!" she said, diving to catch it, grabbing her backpack, and diving out the door.

"W-what are the chances that she'll post that somewhere?" Keith asked. Lance laughed.

"Very low. She wouldn't do something like that. The worst case scenario would be that she'd show it to Allura." he answered.

"Oh."

"Sorry about that."

"Sorry for what?"

"For, well, probably pushing you out of your comfort zone. I didn't really mean to do that last night." Lance said, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't want you to leave."

"No, I probably overreacted. Nothing even close to flirting has ever even been meant for me-"

"WAIT. You've never had a girlfriend?!" Lance answered, shocked. "You're just telling me this now?!"

"Why is it such a big deal?!"

"I didn't know that!" he said.

And then, the next moments of Keith's life passed so fast it was almost a blur. Lance took Keith's face in his hand and kissed him lightly on his lips. Keith almost freaked out and banged his head on a storage cabinet.

"W-what was that for?!" he asked, like Lance had just committed a crime against him. Lance laughed.

"Because, before senior year ends, you need to have kissed someone. A guy or a girl. Now you can cross that our your bucket list!"

"It was never on my bucket list!!" He exclaimed.

"Now it is."

"I barely know you!"

"So it doesn't count?" Lance asked confusedley.

"No."

"Darn." Lance answered, fumbling with the camera. "You know how to work this, right?"

"My drama teacher said I could use it. Doesn't mean I know whether it's digital or not."

"Do we have to call Pidge back?"

Keith was amazed how fast Lance could toss what he just did over his shoulder like nothing happened. Keith really didn't know Lance that well, all he knew what that for the last two days he wore the color blue, and he liked cats. And Keith as well.

Sure, Lance was kind of cute, and he was already passively flirting with him.

Was it worth it?

Probably not. But maybe later? Maybe it was just a phase they were both going through?

Yeah, by the end of the year, he might be dating Pidge for all he knew. And years from now, he'd be happy with someone, anyone, and this would only be distant memory.

Now all he would have to do would be make it through freshman year like this.

"Yeah, we might have to." Keith said, looking back at the camera.

_______________________

welp.

I have no life.

My dad made me turn off Overwatch for tonight. He said something along the lines of, I was addicted??

oh well. Hope u enjoyed this bit of klance I added in. 

-QuirkyLilBastard

(OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH. If you are playing Overwatch this free weekend, come play with me! I'm Adalia on my Bliz account, so if you have nothing better to do........)


	6. What

Weeks passed, classes went on. Life went on around Keith, and yet he couldn't move past it.

He still attended the cat club after school, what confused him most was the lack of teachers noticing cat hair, and maybe even the lack thereof.

Keith did eventually find Lance in three of his classes, one at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and at the end of the day.

Let's not even get started on the lost hours of sleep. While others could probably function like this, and may have even been pining after Lance, Keith definitely wasn't that person. He was like an ice cube, and Lance was the sun. Day by day, he was melting Keith's cold exterior. One of these days he'd probably end up melting completely and losing the ability to function like a normal person.

"JUST KISS ALREADY" Pidge shouted, after Lance and he were arguing over which homework assignment their professor had assigned for Tuesday.

"PIDGE" They shouted in unison. "Not. The. Time." Keith said, close to almost growling at his friend. Pidge shrugged. 

"Fine by me. All in favor of remaining in a room where the sexual tension is higher than the Empire State Building say 'I'" she said. Lance was just done with that, and ran after the younger girl, straight into the hallway, with Pidge yelling something along the lines of 'YOU GUYS ARE HOPELESSLY IN LOVE'

Blue wrapped herself around Keith's right leg, making him smile. Unlike her owner, Keith enjoyed Blue's company. She was sweet and kind, and was usually happy to see him. Today he was typing away at his laptop, before closing the screen, allowing his eyes a break from the light. He picked up the calico, and pet her, as the cat purred.

"Smoke bomb!"

The right of the room filled with what Keith now knew to be water vapor. He questioned where and when Pidge had time to make this. Especially to be used in this situation. And how she smuggled it onto school grounds.

"Katie Holt I swear I will get you one of these days!" Lance shouted in defeat, staring at Pidge, who had climbed up onto the top of a bolted cabinet. Keith wasn't entirely sure how she'd climbed all the way up there without him noticing, but after knowing Pidge for a month or so, Keith knew he should probably just expect this by now. Pidge hissed playfully, and sat down happily. Probably relieved to be out of reach of Lance. Though, Lance attempted to climb up the cabinets himself, but he proved to be too heavy and only barely touched Pidge's boot before giving up and pouting. 

That was adorable.

Oh God.

Keith was red before he knew what was happening.

"Keith, you look like a tomato. I can turn the thermostat lower if you'd like." Shiro offered. "Are you sick?"

"No! He's just madly in love with Lance McClain!" Pidge yelled from her spot on the cabinets. Lance attempted yet another climb to the annoyingly little sister like blonde, who expertly moved over to make sure Lance didn't even get a good footing that time.

"Pidge, lay off okay?" Shiro asked, almost like an older brother. Pidge sighed in defeat, but didn't get down. "You can't just force two people together."

"I can, I will, and I have! Just look at your own relationship! If it weren't for me so many years back, you wouldn't be married to the girl of your dreams!" Pidge said, nodding towards Allura, who sat, oblivious to the argument going on around her, surrounded by the other cats, which were all purring around her. "If I can do wonders for you, I can do wonders for you two too! Just dial 1-800-GETALOVER or visit our website at: yourfriendlyneighborhoodspiderman.com."

"How much caffeine have you had today?" Shiro asked, visibly sweating.

"Maybe three cups."

"How big?"

"Three large caramel mocha frapuccinos."

"Pidge. We had this discussion earlier this year. You don't need that much to stay awake."

And that was how Keith's Thursday came and went.

________

"You will all be put in pairs. After you have your partner, you will come over to Miss Stacy and Mr. Mike. They will give you your baby. After that, you will go to Mrs. Campbell.........."

Lance's (and Keith's for that matter) lazy professor Miss Langitrine, had begun the baby assignment. He turned immediatly to Hunk, but Hunk had already locked eyes with Pidge.

"You will all come up and pick from this bowl on who your partners will be, read the name out loud........." and blah blah blah. Lance sighed in defeat. Hunk was his best friend, he had wanted to do something like this with him for a while.

"Anna Lystrange?"

And so the class period came and went, until it came to Hunk's name being called. He dug through the pile, and when he pulled it out, Lance could visibly see his face go red. 

"Shay Martinez."

Visibly, Pidge was fuming. It was either because Shiro had restricted her from anymore caffiene for the next three days, or because Pidge had a mad crush on Hunk. Probably a mix of both.

"Keith Kogane?". Keith dove his hand into the bucket, and pulled out a white slip of paper. He was clearly embarassed after he read his card. Lance was oblivious.

"L-Lance McClain." he crushed the paper in his hands and tossed it into the waste basket.

Rigged. Lance knew Pidge had something to do with this. He was half-convinced he'd be able to change partners and plead his case to the professor, but with a look of 'you better not come over here because I'm going through caffeine withdraw so move on along' on both female's faces, he decided against it and headed after Keith.

"So."

"So?" Keith asked. 

"So, what's our martial status now? What do I identify as to our child?"

"What?!"

"Obviously! We can't have them living in a broken household! We have to be married, right?" Lance stated. Keith facepalmed.

"Yeah, sure. You can be Dad, I can be Mom, whatever floats your boat." he said, staring down the line.

"You're my husband now, then." Lance proclaimed. Keith stared at him as if he were going through caffeine addiction as well. "What?"

"I didn't agree to this!"

"Don't care cherrybomb."

"Don't call me that!" Keith said.

After they'd made it through the line, they had an entire bag full of baby supplies, a baby carrier, instructions to get started, and a troubleshooting manual. And one baby that had an uncanny similarity to both of them. At the end of the line they'd gotten into and argument about what the baby's name was supposed to be. Lance took the upperhand and named their son for Keith.

And so, one of the newest additions to the cat club, was Micheal Kogane-McClain, which Keith immediatly had an issue with, but one flirtatous look from his new 'husband' shut him up.

"Hello!" Lance opened the door to the cat club's room on Friday after school. "Welcome Micheal Luke Kogane-McClain to our family!" Lance said, lifting the life-like doll into the air like the scene in the Lion King.

"Put him down Lance. You could drop him!"

"Is that worried mother I hear?" He asked, cocking his head to hear Keith better. Keith pulled on his ear.

"No, that's 'put my song/baby doll down because I need an A to stay in school' you hear. You might need to get your ears checked."

"Hello Luke!" Hunk said from across the room. Shay sat next to him, reading a book. "Shay, this is Lance, Keith, and Luke. Klance, this is Shay and-"

"You just called us Klance..." Keith said, almost absent mindley.

"Oh, sorry! I was speaking too fast. Anyways, this is Shay, and my daughter Melody! Melody Zoe Garrett." Hunk said excitedly. Shay waved hello.

They heard the door bang open violently, and when they rounded the corner, they found Pidge with a baby doll on her chest and her dragging the school-provided baby bag along behind her.

"I. Hate. Being. In. An. Odd. Numbered. Class" she said in between labored breaths. "Dragging this damn thing up two flights of stairs is not fun."

"Wait, you didn't get a partner?" Shay's sweet voice asked. Pidge visbly gritted her teeth and forced herself to smile.

"Hello Shay. And no, Apparently I'm a single mother now."


	7. Why Me?

"I feel dumb" Keith said.

"Why?"

Keith gestured to the baby doll that was strapped to his chest. To be honest, he felt ridiculous to be doing this project in the first place. Though, it made Hunk happy. He spent most of his time with Shay, watching the monstrosity (the baby). Keith guessed it was how the teacher wanted them to be like, but considering two things: the fact that there were more boys than girls in that class, so some were gay parents, and that the thing was creepy. Though it did look like him a bit, it's eyes were souless, which was why Keith avoided looking at it directly in the eyes. And yet, over a game of rock paper sisscors, the thing (Lance insisted on calling it Luke, for whatever reason Keith could not comprehend) was given to him for the day.

"What?! How can you be disturbed by your own son?!" Lance whined. Keith only facepalmed. 

"At least you can actually look it in the eyes." Pidge muttered from a few feet away, watching the thing glitch like a demon was possessing it. "I think I need to trade mine in for another one."

"You're just realizing this now?" Lance asked, Pidge giving him a dirty look. "Just a thought."

"Aren't they adorable though?" Allura asked, stretching in her dancer's uniform. Keith eventually found out she was a dance teacher a few buildings down, but occasionally subbed in for the professors. "I wouldn't mind doing the assignment."

"You don't understand, this thing cries all night long, we stopped feeding it after midnight-"

"It's not a gremlin, Lance." Keith stated. "And I've been feeding it for the last three days you idiot."

"Anyways" he said, ignoring Keith "IT GROWS HAIR ALLURA. It is weird! Our glitched a few hours ago, it's eyes stare into your soul!"

"The only people who seem to have any luck would be Shay and Hunk. They seem pretty happy." Pidge said, trying her hardest not to grit her teeth at Shay's name. Keith could only assume that Pidge and Hunk might've had a history together and Pidge was jealous of Shay.

That was understandable. Their's was the only one that looked remotely human.

The only other thing that was extremely suspicous was how Allura was acting most of the time. Before Keith saw her do some life-defying stunts (at least for him), such as doing some acrobatics during their club time, but since three days ago, she didn't do much else than sit there and stretch. Often she just looked really tired. Keith (and the others) asked whether she was okay or not, and she and Shiro would look at one another and she would bat her eyelashes and say she was just tired and recovering from something.

What exactly, no one was very sure.

The thing's head turned around to look at him, and that was the last straw. He threw the baby carrier off and grasped Lance's hand in fear. Lance blushed, as did he. He lingered for a moment before letting Lance's hand go. Pidge only threw a sad knowing look at them both, which was a bit weird.

The faster this project was over, the faster Keith would no longer have to worry about the thing glitching out, Pidge would calm down, and Lance and he could go back to being just awkward friends.

______

Except. That wasn't how it happened. The one (GOOD) thing that came out of it was that Pidge was able to make the thing glitch on command, so Lance and Keith got out of the project with a passing grade because ,unlike Pidge wanted, they didn't have any replacements.

Although, Pidge was happy about one thing. Since the project had ended a few days prior to then, Shay didn't hang around Hunk as much. They still spoke to one another in class, but she was constantly busy with her brother and family, so they didn't hang out outside of school hours. Even though she was gone, Pidge didn't make any moves on Hunk. Which was honestly a bit strange, had she given up or something? Keith immediatly thought she was shy, but knowing Pidge, that seemed unlikely. But what was really scary about that was when she came in with her hair in a bob rather than her usual hair style (Keith wasn't sure what to call it). The next day she was wearing pigtails, which made Lance ask whether or not she was mentally okay.

And Lance and him didn't end up as awkward friends. Keith often caught him looking at him, staring straight at him. He'd always quickly look away. They were more like extremely awkward friends/'lovers that couldn't admit they liked each other'. Pidge had made that observation multiple times, which led to Lance immediatly bashing on the idea and arguing with the blonde. Often it would end with Keith burying his head in his hands, or Lance threatening to chase after her, with her climbing up the cabinet.

"Want to study with me?"

"What?" Keith asked. Lance looked away again, and then looked back at him.

"Do you want to study with me later?"

"You can do that now." Keith pointed out. Lance blushed and smiled.

"Well, it's sort of eight in the evening. I need a bit of caffeine. Want to go to the Starbucks down by Main?" Lance asked, biting his lip.

Keith almost immediatly thought that he was taking him out on a date. A date. At 8 in the evening, at a Starbucks, to study. Then he realized that Lance didn't have that great of grades, so that could've been all he wanted-

"You can just say no." Lance said. Keith realized he'd been thinking for much too long, and he blushed slightly.

"Y-yeah, I'll get my stuff." He said, putting his binder away. "You want to leave now?"

"I mean why not?" he asked, scratching the back of his head and throwing on his backpack. 

_______________

Aww, I know, I cut it short. Only because I needed to split it into the coffee shop scene next chapter. Bye!


	8. Coffee and Late Night Kisses

So I did say I would update way less often, I didn't say that I wouldn't update at all XD

_________________

Though he looked calm enough, on the inside, Keith was freaking out. Well, one from he had no idea how to tutor (he was thanking God that he was actually passing his classes this semester), and also because Lance probably knew nothing of personal space. But it was the sidewalks of New York, so neither boy had much choice to stand next to one another.

Even after knowing the boy for a while, what exactly Lance was stuck with for his classes, why he had asked for help, Keith wasn't sure. He was glad that Lance had suggested going to a Starbucks instead, for it was the middle of December and he only had on a light sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves. He'd left everything heavy back in his dorm room, not planning for anything longer than a quick walk back to the dorm building. Snow decorated the ground, as the two walked by stores advertising Christmastime sales, with presents decorating store fronts, and the bell of the Red Cross's volunteers. It was only a week before Christmas, and he hadn't even began to think of what to get...well, anyone really. His parents, his siblings, his extended family, even the cat club and various other aquantances of his. Like usual he'd be broke after the entire ordeal, he hadn't even attempted to shop during Black Friday.

"Keith, you know we can come back around. That store's open pretty late." Keith hear Lance's voice from a few feet away. Keith had realized that he'd stopped walking and had probably been staring into the storefront for a while. He hurried after Lance, who'd come back to find him.

Eventually, the made it to the corner Starbucks, and the doorbell rang as they entered. Scanning the menu, he realized that one of his favorites wasn't here. He assumed it was probably a local favorite to his neighborhood. He ordered the next best thing, and sat down. Opening his history textbook, he realized Lance was probably ordering a full meal, considering the bewildered look on the woman at the counter's face. By the time that Lance had sat down with a bag of who-knew-what, Keith had fallen asleep. Or so he was told. The pure smell of sweets woke him up to a warm scone and chocolate cookie.

"I thought we were supposed to be studying, not sleeping the night away." Lance said, twiddling a pencil in his hand. Keith got up, stretching, and yawned.

"So what exactly do you need to study? I wasn't aware of any exams coming up." he noted. Lance shrugged.

"Well, excluding the fact that I probably have a few of the nicest professors on campus, I'm pretty much running on fumes that I haven't dropped out yet. I'm pretty much failing all my classes right now." he said, smiling sheepishly.

"I'll rephrase that question, which would you like to work on first?" He asked, rustling through his backpack.

"Whatever you'd like~"

"You need to stop doing that."

_____________

"I left for five seconds!"

Scissors in hand, Shiro looked up at his wife and waved. Pidge muttered something along the lines of 'well, we are so effed right now'.

"What are you doing?! Leave her hair alone-"

"I asked him to do it Allura. You know I can't see five feet in front of me with these new contacts." Pidge noted.

"Then don't wear contacts!! Your hair looks fine!"

So that was somewhat true. The blonde's hair was as short as Keith's, and the tips were died a green-ish yellow. Her bangs had been cut short, but still in her eyes. Clearly she hadn't seen her hair yet though, because she would be losing it right then. One side was too short, her bangs were uneven, and if she was correct, there was a small patch in the back missing a bit of hair. Shiro made a shushing motion, smiling sheepishly.

"Why are you messing with your hair? It looked fine before!" Allura said, taking her own hair into her hands. Pidge ignored her question, getting up and dusting herself free of her hair. Picking up her bag and thanking Shiro quietly, she left the room.

Pidge was sure she'd left Allura and Shiro in confusion, but that was alright. They wouldn't understand. They'd found each other first try. Pidge, at the age of 15, a prodigy in her classes, someone who had never experienced love (or heartbreak) as such as this, she wasn't sure how to react. With her father and brother gone for over two years, her mother barely speaking to her, something like a crush that was obvious that they didn't like you whatsoever, as a friend that you assumed had a mutual feeling for. Even she knew she should've forgotten about this stupid childhood crush.

But that was the thing.

She wasn't sure she wanted to let it go.

____________

"So you're obviously suffering from sleep deprivation-"

"No! I'm just fine Lance. Calm yourself down, I'm not dying."

"I think that it might be enough studying for tonight though."

To that, Keith didn't argue. His judgement and vision had gotten a bit cloudy, he hadn't slept for a while due to homework and staying late with the Cat Club. He definitely wasn't thinking straight or logically, due to going through quite a few coffees and still not being able to think straight or stay awake for long. Even the ladies at the counter, (they're shifts were switched in at about 11, almost half an hour ago) had told Lance that he'd obviously had enough caffeine for the night. And probably the next week.

They left the Starbucks, Lance taking Keith's bag, on top of that he was suffering just to keep the teenager walking straight. Clearly Keith didn't have the coordination to walk back to campus without falling asleep mid-trip, so he looked away for five seconds to find the nearest bus stop. When he turned back around to tell Keith that a bus stop was a few minutes away, he frantically spun around to find Keith was nowhere to be found. Lance ran through the crowd as fast as he could, the teen nowhere to be found. Lance was seriously worried for his safety, even though he'd recently moved from Seattle to New York to attend university, he still knew the dangers of being young, alone and out in the dark very late at night.

Where is he? He couldn't have made it very far, Lance thought.

Making it to a busy corner, he found Keith, clearly tired as he possibly could've been without collapsing right then and there. And he walked right out on to the street, not minding that the crosswalk signal wasn't activated.

Oh God.

"KEITH" he shouted, causing the boy to turn around and look for whoever was shouting for him. He looked away from the street, and Lance dove out onto the street, not even thinking, tackling the tired teenager. Picking him up, he dropped him onto the other side of the street, panting, his adrenaline gone.

Well, he'd feel that in the morning.

___


	9. Late Night Adventures

Apparently I can't enjoy Wattpad without also having to update consistently what is life without klance?

_______

"I can't even legally drive yet. And yet you decide to call me. IT'S FREAKING 11:49 PM WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Seems that Lance may have made a mistake calling Pidge to come and pick them up. He knew that Shiro was always working late, and Allura just didn't drive as often. Now to think about it, he wasn't actually 100% certain that she even had her license....

Hanging up, Lance considered which one of his friends actually wasn't working late, and was actually old enough to drive. Right then, Keith was sleeping soundly on a bench, and Lance's heart was still beating as fast as a race car, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. God, if he hadn't run as fast as he had, would one of them be in a hospital room right now? Both of them? If he hadn't turned around at all?

Looking to him, he considered picking him up and carrying him back to campus, but even after the adrenaline rush, even he wasn't strong enough, or had enough stamina, to even get halfway back before passing out.

Dialing his friend's number, he was surprised for Hunk to pick up. He didn't think that he'd be up that late.

"Let me guess, you need a ride?"

"How did you know?"

"Pidge just ran out of the club room screaming bloody murder about you calling her so late."

"Why is she still up?"

"Late study session with Shiro, I think."

"Wait, why are you still up?"

"I was going to head out for a snack, I had a late study session with Shay."

"That's fine and dandy, but do you mind maybe coming to pick us up near that Starbucks?"

"Why are you out so late?"

"I wanted to study with Keith for a while, he almost got himself run over, I'm hero of the day... you know what never mind! Can you or can you not?"

"Y-yeah. I'll be there in a few."

And with that, he hung up, Keith waking up, looking around frantically.

"Good evening, sleeping beauty." Keith's lavender eyes found his sky blue ones and he sighed in relief, and...oh, was that a hint of annoyance?

"Why?"

"We're here? You walked into the middle of the street, I saved you, and I didn't feel like carrying you all the way back to campus." he answered for the confused teenager.

"Where's all my stuff?" he asked, checking his pockets for whatever knick-knacks he'd brought along. Taking the bag off his neck, he handed it to Keith, who took it from him gratefully.

"Okay. Now that we have that established, why are we just sitting here? Shouldn't we be going back?"

"I don't need you falling asleep standing up, princess."

"Don't call me that."

"Oh? Why not?" Keith didn't answer. He may have sensed what he was trying to do and retreating into his corner of 'i'm-bothered-by-your-presence-go-away'. Nope, not tonight. He was going to have to wait for that. "Do you not want to accept my love for you?"

"W-what?" he asked, turning around, face almost purple with embarassment.

"Do you, or do you not?" Lance was almost sweating, God why was he so quiet?! It was sending panic through his veins, what if he didn't feel the same? Why was he so spontaneus about it? He had only known this kid since the beginning of the year-

"Okay." he said, a faint smile on his face.

"R-Really?" he asked. Keith nodded.

"That means I can do this." He said, planting a kiss on his lips, Keith only deepening it.

"Do you guys need a ride or a room?"

"Hunk!" Lance pulled away from Keith, waving hello.

"Gosh dangit, now I owe Pidge and Allura 20$. Get in."


	10. Shenanigans

If you're wondering why I ended the last chapter so hastily, it was because my computer died a few seconds after I published it and I didn't want to wait until it could function properly again XD It was really short (I apologize!) But I just wanted some klance fluff after eight long chapters of them tip-toeing around each other :D

Why I'm currently shipping Hunk x Pidge is because Shallura is far more canon than Shidge...soo..also more in this chapter, so I apologize if that ship is not your cup of tea :D

___________________

"What was that all about?" questioned Hunk, after accepting one of Lance's left over scones from that almost disastorous encounter (he'd stolen it from Keith's bag). "Are we going to keep this a secret so I don't have to pay Allura and Pidge 20 bucks?"

"Wait, you were betting on-"

"When you two lovebirds would get together? Yes. Yes we did. And now Pidge has 20 spending dollars and I have no money for a new sweatshirt." he chuckled. "I'm glad they shot down my idea of betting 40 dollars."

"Why?"

"Because. I thought it would be an easy way of making a bit of cash." he said, smiling. Lance punched him playfully. "I was apparently wrong though."

"What if I bet on you and Shay?" Lance asked, smiling. Hunk rolled his eyes.

"Dude. Even you know we're just friends. Besides, she's so busy, she's not even looking for any love right now. Prepare to hand over the cash if you were planning that." Hunk answered.

"Darn it." he said, pouting. The light turning green, Hunk focused back on the road, and Lance turned around to look at his friend. His boyfriend, possibly. If Keith even retained the memory of tonight. He guessed time would tell.

"You know what we can bet on?" Hunk asked, snapping Lance out of his loving stare at his boyfriend. "I bet on seeing a Shallura child in a while."

"Why do you say that? You know Allura can't stand PDA."

"You haven't noticed the way she keeps looking at Shiro? Gosh, Pidge was right. You two have had tunnel vision for each other for a while if you've ignored that." Hunk said, scratching the back of his head. "How much? Ten?"

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal, Garret. But I need a favor."

"What's that?"

"You see that boy back there? The one sleeping like a baby?"

"Keith?"

"Yeah whatever. I was curious whether you knew his dorm number."

"No, actually I'm not sure which building he's in. Look through his bag or something. He has to keep his key with him."

"That would be breaking boundaries!"

"You went into his bag for a scone, Lance. I think you already broke a boundary."

"Touche. But seriously. Neither you or I are down for carrying him around until we happen to find a door that says do not disturb on it."

"Just ask him then."

"But he's so groggy already, I don't think we should bother him."

"What do you want me to do then?" Hunk asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I've got an exam tomorrow, you're lucky I was still awake then."

"Fine." Lance grabbed Keith's bag from the back (probably spraining his shoulder in the process) and flipped it open. Notebooks, notebooks, more notebooks, books from their library, pencils, what he assumed to be a red folder of homework assignments, but nothing that looked it could be holding a dorm key. Flipping through notebooks, nothing fell out, and it was mostly notes with a few assignments, until he came across a black one, he flipped through it and came across something blue. 

The car hit a pothole, and they could both hear Keith swear under his breath, awake. Lance cursed himself, shoving the notebook back into his bag, and closing the flap over the bag.

"Is that my bag?" Keith asked, looking over his shoulder. "Why do you have it?"

"Well, good evening to you too, sleeping beauty."

"Give it." he said, and Lance handed it back (probably popping that shoulder back into place). "Where are we?"

"Going back to campus, where do you think?"

"I fall asleep for five seconds on a bus bench and I wake up in the back of Hunk's car. What else can I expect from you guys?" He said, running his fingers through his hair. "Why is it so cold?"

"It's the middle of December in New York, you've been here for what, three months? Sweetheart, you should expect that." Lance said, smiling.

"Okay..."

A silence fell over the car, and Hunk broke it.

"So, does anyone want to question the way Pidge has been acting lately?"

"What do you mean?" Keith's groggy voice asked. "She's been normal."

"Explain this picture Shiro sent me a while ago." Hunk said, pulling out his phone, stopping at a red light. He opened it and handed it to Lance.

It was a selfie with Shiro and Pidge, and Lance almost dropped the phone in terror. The girl had shaved the right side of her head and the other was pulled back with a green clip. The text read 'Pidge needed a change. I tried my best'. He could only assume that Shiro meant he'd done the haircut himself.

"Shoot, Pidge cut her hair?" Keith asked, looking over Lance's shoulder. "I kind of liked it the way she had it before."

"See? Not normal. Especially for her. She's never got her hair cut before a few years back. During that weird robot assignment? Then was when all of that changed."

Keith and Lance shared a look. "Could you consider the idea that she's changing herself-"

"For you?" Keith finished blantantly.

"That's really funny you guys. We've been friends since forever, she would've said something before now if-" Hunk paused, thinking to himself. Probably realizing how true it could've been. "Okay, let's say we consider your idea. What do you want me to do?"

"Beats me. Do you like her back? We can't let her just dream." Keith answered.

"I-I guess. I mean, she's cute, definitely."

"But, do you like her romantically? We're not forcing you, it's just a possibility."

"Exactly. How do you guys know that it's me? It could be anyone in any of the classes I don't have with her."

"What's this for evidence: remember that robot project? Remember her reaction to not having a partner? She hated it when Shay was around and all, I think I have a good amount of evidence contrasting your idea" Lance answered. "C'mon, what's stopping you?"

"Maybe later you guys. Leave it alone" he said. "I think this is our stop though"


	11. Christmas

Like always, it was Tuesday, the twenty-second of December, and Lance had yet again only realized Christmas was a few days away and had forgotten. Again. Like last year, he'd said he was going to shop early and sit back and watch everyone else panic over presents.

And just like last year, he'd totally broken that promise to himself.

And he'd made a bunch of friends this year, his list would be much longer than it was last year. He didn't even know where to start with the Cat Club's members. He'd have to be subtle in finding out what they wanted. Like every year.

And then it got easier, somewhat, during their study time after school. Since he'd heard about it from Hunk, during orientation, he always questioned how Shiro and Allura managed to keep other professors from finding out about the cats, or whether they questioned whether the club actually proposed any educational uses. He wasn't sure what Shiro taught, but he also didn't care, so he never made it a priority to ask.

"I have an announcement" Allura said, bag slung over her shoulder. She was loud, most likely anyone in surrounding classrooms could hear her. "I won't be at my dance studio for a few months"

"Yes, because I was taking dance and I'm in tears right now." Pidge said, sarcastically.

"You take dance?" Hunk asked. Pidge rolled her eyes, her cheeks tinted pink.

"No, do you want me to? I'm not sure I have the coordination for that." she said, almost laughing.

"Ahem."

"Okay, you've got our attention right now. What is it?" Keith asked. Lance threw a loving look at him, and he blushed, smiling.

"Well.." she looked at Shiro, who smiled for her to continue. "Shiro and I are expecting a child!"

"Cool! When?" Lance asked.

"September, most likely. None of you are surprised?"

"No, but Lance owes me 20$ now."

"You owe me 20$, Hunk." Pidge noted. Hunk sighed.

"Alright then."

__________________

Keith was probably panicking just as bad as his boyfriend.

He'd finished most of his shopping over the weekend (after sleeping for half the day, only waking for Lance to bring him food), some presents for the nicer students in some of his classes, and his immediate family. Yet he'd left the Cat Club's presents for last because these were some of the people he probably trusted the most at this school.

At least now he had some idea of what he was going to get for the newly expecting parents.

Lance was a wild card, his first ever actual love interest. What he would want, Keith had no idea and was panicking on the inside because of it. Knowing Lance, he probably wouldn't mind whatever he got for him.

For Pidge, it was a nobrainer to get something technology related. He wasn't going to blow his budget on her though. He was curious how normal people on a normal salary managed to buy their kids these nice phones without asking themselves 'Hmm...do I want to impress my daughter by buying this phone, or do I want my family to eat this week?' That was most likely going to be Hunk's job (whether he took Lance and Keith's advice he wasn't sure).

For Hunk, he would have a hard time deciding. He was almost as childish as Lance or Pidge. But he had been mentioning here and there he wouldn't complain about a new set of tools. Keith was pretty sure that Hunk was either aspiring to be a cook, or a mechanic. Maybe a set of knives?

"Keith? You know, if you're a daydreamer, you need to tell us when you keep wandering into space"

Everyone had dispersed, Allura and Shiro gone, Pidge packing up her bag and Hunk talking to her. Lance and Keith were the only ones left with their things still spread on the floor. Gosh, he needed to stop doing that.

"Okay then." he noted, scanning the things he had left out. Unlike Lance, he was actually somewhat organized, so he didn't have much to clean up to head back to his dorm and prepare for the next day of unecessarily long projects and essays.

"Having a near-death experience isn't easy. Aren't you glad I was there?"

"I have literally no memory of that, but yes, I guess." And it was true. Keith had some bits and pieces of the ordeal, but clearly Lance was relieved that he wasn't a pancake on the ground, so Keith was okay with that.

"Pidge and Hunk were waiting for us. Something about late Christmas shopping. I just need to drop my stuff off at my dorm."

"Don't you need to do homework for English?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather spy-I mean hang out with Hunk, Pidge, and my boyfriend." he said, pecking him on the cheek. Keith colored, and kissed him back.

_________________

"He gave me his sweater."

"So?"

"It smells like him, I'll keep it forever"

"It's covered in cat hair."

"And that is to be expected." Keith answered. It was a bit late, no later than about 8pm though. Even with the early evening creeping over them, Keith had already buckled and assumed it was freezing. With his chilvarous ways, Lance gave Keith his sweatshirt while Hunk and he went off somewhere into the store, leaving him and Pidge to search for presents.

"Who are you shopping for?" Pidge asked. She was shopping for her family, she'd finished most of it yesterday, but hadn't really picked anything out for her closer friends. She'd already bought Lance something, matching sweaters for him and Blue. She was pretty sure he would like it. Keith would get a fluffy red sweater, a matching one for him and a cat that everyone in the Cat Club was pitching in to get him. They were all okay with in when Lance asked to be the one to give it to him personally. After all, it was his idea.

Yet, Hunk was the only one with an undecided gift. She had made plans to go by the children's department for Shiro and Allura, so everyone had a gift already except for her crush. And Pidge Gunderson was not the pining type. It was kind of hard for her to cope with it, never having a real love interest before then, being so busy with school. She had first met Hunk late middle school, and had been best friends with the chef. Pidge had only realized her crush when the year had started. It was kind of confusing, the art of pining. Dumb, she definitely found it.

"Everyone here. I kind of forgot about Christmas." he said sheepishly. "Now I've got Allura and Shiro off my list, but I'm not really sure about Hunk or Lance." Pidge could almost hear him say her name, but he didn't. "What does Hunk want?"

"How should I know? I don't know, maybe a cook book? Knives? Spices? Coffee?"

"I already got that for Shiro." he smiled. "If I should know anything about children is that you stay up way past your bedtime. Whether he understands it now, or not, he'll thank me later"

"Smart." Pidge noted, as the two wandered down a baking aisle after an hour of waiting for their crushes to come back. From wherever the department store lead them to find.

Pidge stopped in front of a porcelain teddy bear labeled 'cookies' in a baby blue. Taking her gloved hands out of her pockets, she picked up and looked at the price tag. At 20$ for something like this, she was okay with it. Now she'd have to get ribbon sometime before Friday, but she liked this. Maybe Hunk would like it too.

"Found something?" Keith asked from the end of the aisle.

"Found something for Hunk." she said, jogging to catch up.

"No fair. I was going to grab something like that." He said, rubbing his hands together in the slightly oversized sea-blue sweater that Lance had given him.

"No I will not put your name on the tag, Kogane." she said, moving the cookie jar from his reach. They shared a laugh.

_________________

WELL most likely an update in the next 24 hours soooooooooooooooooooooooooo just wait.

Anyways, see ya'll soon!

YourNeighborhoodSpaceDork,

-


	12. Christmas Pt. 2

Christmas day came, and Keith was almost sad he couldn't just jump out of bed and run downstairs to a decorated tree and presents from Santa. That was always his favorite part of Christmas.

Sighing, he found it was only 7am, and nobody had texted him or anything. The school halls would all probably be closed, so he sent out a text asking where they were supposed to exchange gifts.

Only a few minutes after, a loud knock was at his door and he looked out the peephole. 

He opened the door to Lance with a bright blue onesie on. He hadn't even thought to change into shoes or socks. Keith cracked a smile.

"Hello kitten." He said, kissing his boyfriend's forehead. Sharing a tender kiss, Keith pulled away, and took in everything else.

Lance had left a cardboard box with holes on the top flaps next to him. If he strained his hearing, he heard...meowing?

"Oh, yeah, Merry Christmas!" he said, handing the box to him. He put his ear to it, and he could clearly hear a kitten meowing. Putting the box on the floor and kneeling next to it, he opened it (Thank goodness it wasn't taped.) He found a burgundy colored kitten looking up at him with beautiful blue eyes such as Lance's. It meowed, it's tail wagging a bit.

"We all pitched in to get him. I mean, I know everyone else had one, and how much you liked the other cats-" he was cut off by Keith. They shared a deep kiss, Lance's fingers getting tangled in his hair, Lance picked him up his legs, and he twisted them around him. Lance was pressed against a wall near the door, only tasting the faint taste of what he could only assume was chocolate.

His favorite.

He never thought anyone's lips had ever tasted that good.

"C'mon kitten, we can finish this later. Everyone's waiting in Hunk's apartment." Lance said, pulling away. He kissed Keith's neckline, as the latter let out a soft moan before coloring once again.

"Stop calling me that." Keith noted before climbing down from his boyfriend's soft embrace.

"Why?" he asked, waiting Keith to pick up the box and get ready to leave.

"Because."

"Because why??"

"Shut up." he said, pecking his cheek and locking the dorm door.

________________

When he found everyone showed up in pajamas, Keith was almost in tears because of the nostalgia. Hunk had a tree and all the fixings, except for the presents, which is what everyone had in hand. Pidge wore a green nightgown with a pair of matching pajama bottoms and her shoes were nearby. Hunk was decked out in a green and red sweater and yellow pajama bottoms, battling Pidge in a game of Mario Kart.

"Considering that neither of you are late on purpose, Hunk now owes me 10$" she said, greeting the two boys without looking up from the T.V. He sighed playfully and handed her the dollar bill. "Anyways, everyone was waiting for you two lovebirds to get over here so we could open presents."

"Why do you say that?"

"If Keith weren't covered in blue, I'd revoke what I just said."

"What?!" Both were confused until Pidge and Hunk broke out into laughter. 

"But honestly, why else would both of you get here at the same time flustered as f?" Pidge asked, putting down her controller, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Well then, if we can move on, I want to open presents." Hunk said, grabbing six from under the tree, all wrapped according to their preference in color. Lance dissapeared somewhere into the apartment, Keith could only guess that he was going to grab his, and Shiro and Allura took seats on the couch. Pidge grabbed hers from nearby. His were in his backpack, and after seeing everyone else's presents, he felt his presents were smaller by a landslide. He oped they weren't too dissapointed.

"So how is this going to work? We go one by one, or?" Shiro trailed off. 

"We can just go around in a circle, pick one by one." Pidge shrugged. "I'll start" While Keith expected the first to be for Hunk, she picked up a box that if it were a foot taller, it would probably be as tall as Pidge. She didn't bother to pick it up, she just shoved it over to the couple on the couch. "Joint present, from me of course."

Mr. and Mrs. Shirogane received a coffee maker from Pidge. The only thing she said was "You may not understand it now, but you'll thank me sometime from now."

"You received my present already." Lance winked and motioned to the box, which Keith had almost forgotten about. He picked up the kitten, who licked his hand as soon as he put it down in front of him. Before he discarded the box, he noted a blue card in the bottom and made a mental note to read it later.

"Technically it's from all of us, all of us got him adopted, Lance." Allura stated.

"Yeah, but it was my idea." he said. Allura rolled her eyes playfully.

Pulling out a box from his bag, it was probably the bigger of the five, he handed it to Hunk. He'd gotten a pair of oven mitts from Keith, a neon yellow that were also heat resistant. Thank God he had been wandering around town to find these half-priced for the Christmas season. Otherwise he probably would have little for him.

And that was how it went, Pidge received a notepad and gel pens from Lance, a new pair of Skullcandy headphones from Shiro and Allura, and a 10$ giftcard to Starbucks from Keith. The most surprising was from Hunk, who'd gotten the girl (both metaphorically and intentionally) a necklace with flower pendant hanging from the chain. It had come with a pair of stud earrings and a charm bracelet, but she put on the necklace first , after reading the tender note she also received from Hunk.

Lance on the other hand had received matching blue sweaters for him and Blue from Pidge, and a certificate to a shooting range from Hunk. In which Keith had to question.

"Wait, you shoot?"

"I can, doesn't mean I'm any good!" he laughed. Looking at Hunk, he shrugged.

He also got a baby carrier from Allura, in which Keith also looked to her, and she shrugged in response. Lance didn't have any children, did he?

"I can totally put Blue in this!" he exclaimed after unwrapping it.

"He likes to walk Blue around campus, whether on a leash or walking by him. It's weird." Pidge noted.

"It's not weird!" He argued. "Blue and I are very happy with each other!"

"It's weird, accept it." she said.

For him, Keith had gotten him a new sweatshirt, we he had only picked out almost twelve hours ago.

"Because I still have your other one and I'm not willing to give it back" he'd written on the card. He'd probably slightly regret that later.

Keith had gotten a fluffy red winter coat from Allura, a pair of fingerless gloves from Shiro, and handmade hat from Hunk, and in addition to Red, a stuffed teddy bear from Lance. Pidge had bought him a messenger bag, stating 'your old one looks like it's falling apart'

"Why all the winter gear? It's almost January..."

"We can all hear you complaning about how cold it is, Keith. Problem solved" Pidge answered. "I think that's everyone though. Pancakes?" Hunk then asked. "Sitting here for an hour and a half exchanging presents works up an appetite"

____________

A day full of wandering around New York City in almost frigid weather and snow wasn't necessarily what Lance had planned for Christmas day with his friends, but at least it was somewhat better than the last few weeks of just pure ice crystals and Anarctican like-weather. A better thing was that Keith wasn't as much as of a tsundere as he had been in the past weeks.

That's why when he followed Keith back to his dorm, was why he let him in without hesitation.

"Home sweet home." Keith mumbled, shedding his heavy coat and boots. Before he could even take off his gloves, Lance took him by the hand , kissing him deeply. Both fell on the single bed, both fingers tangled into each other's hair.

God, and there was a tang of mint chocolate there too.

He'd never be able to get enough of this piece of art.

____________

Kay, minimal P.OV. change


	13. New Years

"Are you going home for New Years?" Lance asked.

"I don't know." Pidge shrugged. "My mom is still really depressed since my dad and my brother dissapeared. I might, but I have so much work to do."

Red meowed, winding herself around Keith's leg. Three days from now they'd go on break. Keith hadn't decided whether or not he was going to stay in the city or go home yet. Whether he liked to admit it or not, he wasn't sure he could go that long without Lance. He smiled at the thought of seeing him again, as he stuffed his hands into his coat pocket, shuffling the snow around.

Lance and Hunk had dragged them to a park nearby and said something about building snowmen. Pidge and Keith thought they'd outgrown that tradition, but after a while Pidge immediatly went to help them out.

He picked up the kitten, lying it in his lap as he sat down on a bench. She was unusually friendly, compared to other cats he had met. She actually liked to play, which was a bit confusing. If she were a person, he was pretty sure she would be the overprotective mother he'd never had.

And a pack of snow hit him directly in the face. Red moved to the bench and curled up in the snow.

When he had wiped the white christmas from his face, he found none other than his boyfriend holding yet another snowball.

And another one hit him again.

Making one of his own, he chucked at Lance. He dodged.

"You are so on, McClain!" he shouted, chucking another one. Red only lifted a lazy eye to view what he was doing, before going back to sleep in the snow patch on the bench. His ball went wide though, hitting Pidge directly on the side of her head.

"Sorry! I was aiming for-" another snowball hit him. Today was not his lucky day. This time, Pidge had moved to reveal an entire arsenal of snowballs, prepped and ready for battle. He looked at Lance, silently communcating 'if you love me you will help me'

He shrugged, probably confused. He ducked behind his snowman, motioning for Keith to follow. He ran, rolling to the snowman, as he heard the constant 'paf' of snowballs hitting the snowman in rapid sucession.

"We are completely and utterly cornered. If I die here, let our children know what a brave fighter I was."

Dramatics.

This boy though.

"Okay then. They're just snowballs, Lance-Lance wait!" Lance immediatly tossed some quickly made snowballs and chucked them at Pidge, screaming 'This is SPARTA!!' (A/N I'm not the only one who can see this, right?)

He would never understand this boy. Never in a million years, but he would love him with everything he had.

______________

"So, are you staying here for New Years?" Lance asked, hand in hand with Keith.

"Why do keep asking?"

"Well, I was thinking I could introduce my family to you. I mean, I'm like the last kid of age to be in a romantic relationship." he smiled. "Are you up to it? Mind you, my family is huge and a bit on the crazy side."

"Isn't that any family?" Keith questioned. It had really only been him and his father when he was growing up, so he didn't know what it felt like to be in a huge family, like Lance's.

"I guess you're right! But I mean, do you? It'd be kind of nice to have you around, for two weeks without you I don't think I could survive." He said, laughing.

Would he go? Maybe?

"If you're wondering, my parents accepted me a while back, if you're worried." he said, silencing a few of Keith's fears. "Has your dad?"

"Not exactly. We're not extremely close." he said, and that was the truth. Since he'd been alone for a long time while he was gone at work, they never really bonded as much as Keith may have liked. It didn't bother him a lot, he rarely ever saw his father in the first place, and he was happy with Lance anyways.

"Oh. Well, you'll have a hard time adjusting after you meet my family!" he began rattling off names, as Keith's mind wandered.

"Jess is definitely going to like you. Just don't get too close, or she'll pull your hair" he laughed, turning to him. "Well, this is my stop. You coming or not?"

"Okay, okay I'll come. I'll come." he said. He smiled, and kissed him before hurrying off towards his dorm. "I'll text you with the address later!"

He had made Lance so happy just by accompanying him to his house.

Lance had made him so happy by enjoying his company. Enough to actually take him on a date. And make out with him on Christmas.

He started towards his dorm, snowflakes flying around him.

He would enjoy this.

If only he knew.

________

hahahah omnious thought, eh?

Anyways, shorter than usual because I just NEED. TO. UPDATE. There are so many people pocketing my book into their reading lists and thank all of you for it! I don't want to dissapoint!

And yes, headcannoning that Lance has a huge family. All names and characters are mine in his family other than him.


	14. Day One

"Dude, we're going to be at my house for a while after New Years...you don't think you'll need a bit more?"

Keith had brought one backpack with him, he had been told to leave the sleeping bag, and the clothes on his back. Lance wasn't totally sure what he was planning.

"I can buy stuff, right?" Keith shrugged and tossed his backpack into the trunk of Lance's car. Even Lance hadn't brought that little, and he was going home.

"Are you like, sublty saying you're planning to wear my clothes?" He asked. He earned a yell and a water bottle that ducked as Keith shouted no. "Okay, okay, but seriously we'll be there for a while and I'm not sure I like you smelling like a mud puddle for three days straight."

"I don't smell like a mud puddle! God, you are so lucky I love you." He whispered the last part as he climbed into the passenger seat after Lance had taken the driver seat.

"I know. You don't want a pillow maybe?" It was definitely early, earlier than Lance probably would've liked to leave at, but after a long night of talking to his younger sister, he had been convinced to get there earlier, and then let his boyfriend get some sleep so they could go out later in the day. "It's going to be a long drive."

"Where do you live?" He asked, genuinely curious as Lance started the car. "Is it really that far from here?"

"Maybe two hours? I live in Cape May."

"You live in New Jersey?"

"Yeah. Why? You don't like the water?"

"I...I can't swim." He admitted as Lance's face contorted into a smile. "Dude! Don't laugh!"

"I can't really blame you, can I? I grew up in a seaside town, swim champ of the entire McClain family, and I fell in love with a mainly land creature who only comes out of their room to say hi to me." He said, holding back a laugh. "It's like the Little Mermaid but I can't see anyone but you and you have the quietest voice to ever exist."

Keith blushed and nodded. "Sure, whatever floats your Disney-obsessed boat."

Looking away from his boyfriend and his yelling about the insane traffic at the early time in the morning, he opened his phone's texting application to find what he thought was a billion texts from his friends.

Pidgeon: Dude! Where are you?!

Hunkandproud: Haven't seen him since last night, K

SpacePrincess: Not sure

Kashi: Pidge why are looking for him?

Pidgeon: I've been wondering whether he wanted to come to the movies w/ me and Hunk, but I've been sitting outside his dorm room all night!

Hunkandproud: K, when did u go over there?

Pidgeon: around 4ish....

Hunkandproud: You arent supposed to stalk friends, K.

Pidgeon: yeah but u said to ask if he wanted to go and i was still up after last night. and i may have forgotten.

SpacePrincess: Im sure it wasn't so important you had to go and find him at 4 in the morning, Pidge.

Pidgeon: Yeah, but I suspect he made out w/Lance and that's why I couldn't find him either...

Hunkandproud: K! You can't just make assumptions about people like that!

Pidgeon: i can and i will

SpacePrincess: I'm w/Pidge on this one, don't lie, you all thought the same thing

Kashi: Not really, but okay.

Keith couldn't help but laugh and blush at the same time. It was true that Lance had wandered into his room right as he was going to bed, but except for a quick cuddle session, a short movie, a late night snack and kiss on the cheek, they hadn't done anything. Lance had slept over, but he wasn't about to give Pidge the satisfaction of knowing she was right.

RedCat: Guys you can't talk about me when I'm asleep!

A slight pause, and then he found Pidge was online.

Pidgeon: Ha! So u were sleeping w/Lance!

RedCat: Maybe I was, but you should know I'm not crazy about....sexual stuff like that.

Pidgeon: I need to stop making bets with Hunk.

RedCat: You bet on that?

Pidgeon: Anything to make a bit of extra money!

RedCat: Don't you have a job?

Pidgeon: I'm a freelance technician okay? It's not necessarily reliable.

SpacePrincess: Where did you go, Keith? Better question, is Lance w/ you?

RedCat: One sec.

"You didn't think to tell them we were going to stay at your house for New Years?" He asked, they had left the traffic behind, and except for the lights of some of the remaining city, it was dark and quiet except for some other cars. The hum of the blue car made him sleepy, but it was six in the morning.

"No? Why?"

"They...they think we made out last night because Pidge was looking for me." Instead of being surprised, like Keith had assumed he would be, he threw a look over to him, smiling. "What?"

"I could pull over if-"

"Lance! I swear to God if you do that I will not hesitate to smack you." His blush only deepened as he laughed. "I'm serious!"

"Okay! Okay fine! I won't, promise. Tell them I say hello!" He said, as he refocused his attention on the road.

RedCat: Lance says hello

Pidgeon: Where are you?!

Pidgeon: Are you in his room and have your ringer off?

RedCat: I'm going to his house for New Years, Pidge

Pidgeon: Cute! A couple's honeymoon!

RedCat: I swear, you are such a handful!

Pidgeon: Okay, fine if I can't have that, at least give me a pic from you guys just so I can leave the outside of your room.

RedCat: What?

RedCat: nvm

He opened the camera application of his phone, and pointed it at his boyfriend. "Keith what are you up to? If you want a picture, get one of me when I'm trying not to crash us due to exhaustion."

RedCat: *image attached*

RedCat: Happy now, Pidge?

Pidgeon: Not exactly, I was hoping you'd be in there! It is 6:30 in the morning and I'm exhausted.

RedCat: And who's fault is that?

Pidgeon: I refuse to answer that question. Have fun!

Pidgeon: Where's Red?

"Oh f-" Lance looked at him, "udgesicles."

"If you're gonna cuss, say it right, Keith" He laughed. "What's up?"

"No..wait, never mind, I left Red with Allura and Shiro, that's what it was." He sighed in relief, he was glad he hadn't accidentally left his cherished pet in his room without anyone to watch her.

"Fudgesicles! Call Hunk for me, Kitty."

"Why?" Keith was so not okay with that nickname, his face turning red even though he willed himself not to color at everything his boyfriend said. Lance smiled, noticing the blush out the corner of his eye.

"Blue's still in my room! Thank God I gave Hunk a key. You don't think Shiro will mind having them around for a few days, right?"

"I don't know, maybe? And you just said that if you were going to cuss, I should say it right. Does it not apply to you?" He asked, flipping through a few phones numbers before pressing Shiro's contact.

"No, no it does not, because we're spending two weeks with my family, so I'll have to get used to your crazy subsitutes." He rolled his eyes and let down a window, the air flipping through the car and getting caught in Keith's hair. "Lord knows you need a haircut!"

While he couldn't see his laughing boyfriend or hear the person on the other end of the line, Keith flipped his boyfriend off as he heard the laugh intensify and a hat being jammed onto his head.

It was going to be a long two hours.

_______________  
Sorry, I'm trying to get back into writing for this book because this time next week will be my last first week of school in middle school, I'll be in high school this time next year and Lord knows I'll be swamped with whatever the f my mom wants on my resume for College.

So it'll be on hiatus for a while, I'm just speed-writing so I can comfortably relax for two weeks into the school year and not worry someone will come to my door chanting to update my book XD

ShanceIsGoodToo thank you for Shiro's nickname idea! I was out of ideas for his username and the nickname came to mind XD


	15. Day Two

*Just so you guys know now, this is not going to be a 'day one''day two''day three''day four' sort of thing. That would be some seriously tedious shit right there*

____________________

He could hear the alarm.

He just didn't want to.

Even in his own house, he didn't even have to go anywhere today, not if he didn't want to, but Keith was here and he had a whole day of fun planned for them.

He could've gotten up then, but to be honest, Keith was like a radiator, he was so warm. He was like a fluffy, small, red, teddy bear.

And he never wanted to let go. Keith made him so happy after he had almost flunked high school, and just barely made it to university. Keith gave him life, to be honest. He made him feel needed, all throughout high school he had never felt important to anyone, even his closer friends. And in a span of a few months, this boy had stumbled his way into his heart. Keith Kogane didn't even look like he ever wanted to let go either. His anxiety had faded to only a few attacks whenever he wasn't around and Lance was panicking over homework and the things his peers said to him when he wasn't with Keith, or when the whispering was loud enough for him to hear.

He never wanted to leave Cape May ever again, and just maybe kidnap Keith and keep him here too.

"Lance?"

And now he was up.

His hair was ruffled, a messy ponytail holder barely keeping it all together. He wore a red oversized sweatshirt that Lance had given to him, noting that it was cold at night in Cape May, and a pair of shorts. His eyes wandered to the window, where he could see the ocean bashing against the rocks below, and then he rolled over to face his boyfriend. He smiled as Lance brought him closer.

"What?"

"Can you please turn that off? Or I swear to God I will not hesitate to kick you." He obliged, stretching to turn it off, but not moving so much as let go of his warm boyfriend.

He heard what he thought were footsteps coming up the stairs outside his room, and sure enough, the door opened to a little girl with two missing front teeth. "Lance, Mama's looking for you!" she bounded over to his bed as he finally let go of him. "Who's that?"

"Just Keith. C'mon, say hello to my sister, Kristy." Keith got up unwillingly, rubbing his tired eyes, trying to be able to see normally again. The little girl smiled as he came to take her all in, her bright blue eyes and the hair she shared with Lance. Everything about her reminded him of his boyfriend, who tossed a shirt on.

"Hiya! My name's Kristy! Lance sent me a bunch of letters this year and he said he loves you so are you going to get married? Oh! Will it be blue!? My favorite color is blue!" The happiness was bubbling over in this small, probably shorter than three feet, little girl, and his face was turning red just at the thought. He looked to Lance for help, who only laughed and picked up Kristy by her feet and laughed.

"Kristy! Leave Lance alone! You're supposed to be helping Katherine with the dishes you silly girl!" The woman that Keith assumed was Lance's mother took Kristy from Lance and she left. He could hear her bounding down the stairs, most likely two at a time.

"Keith! I'm sorry if Kristy was bothering you, she's always excited around new people. My name is Marianne, but you can call me Maria if you'd like." She tossed a towel at him and smiled. "Breakfast is in fifteen minutes, the shower is down the hall across from Emily's room and do not hesitate to stop Lance. He gets excited when he brings people home."

"Mama! Stop telling him everything about me, next thing I know you're showing him my baby pictures!" Lance turned red as his mother laughed.

"Lance, you silly boy. Are you begging me to show them to him?" She ruffled her son's hair and kissed him on the forehead. She looked a lot like Lance and Kristy, the same brown hair, frizzy and curly, the same chocolate skin and the smile that said something was about to happen. The only thing that was different was that she had a shower of freckles and green eyes instead of blue.

"Not going to lie, Mama, I was very cute baby." They both laughed as Keith held back a laugh himself. Even so, Lance was still cocky about everything, even baby pictures, surprisingly.

"Mama! I think the pancakes are burning!" Another voice that sounded distinctly like Lance yelled from downstairs.

"Fudge. Again, breakfast, showers, Lance, chores-"

"Aww, Mama, Keith is here! Let me at least show him around today!" He whined like a child. "Pwease?"

She sighed and walked out of the room. She popped back in, "Fine, but tommorow both of you are on dish duty. While you're out or in the house please no sex, the little ones get curious about everything."

"Mama!" Lance turned redder than Keith was even sure he did at times, and he was pretty sure he had just turned purple with embarassment. Her tinkling laughter faded as she closed the door and he heard her go down the stairs two at a time to get back to her pancakes.

"So....you like my mom?" Lance asked, sheepishly smiling.

"Yeah....." Keith smiled and looked out the picture window, the sun raising itself above the rocks. "She's.....nice."

"Well, that's one out of six of my siblings you have met! My oldest brother, Leo, is eighteen, Sophia is thirteen, Emily is her twin, Lucas is eight, Liam is six, and Kristy is five. My parent's are going through an adoption process right now, so who knows how many kids they'll have in five years." He stood and picked up a towel off the dresser. "I'll be back in a little while babe, Imma get a shower."

He stopped. "Unless you want to get one with me?" He earned an embarassed look and yet another water bottle chucked at him, which he narrowly missed. "Okay! Okay I got the message!"

Once he left, Keith pulled his phone off the dresser and plugged it in. A multitude of texts appeared, mostly from Pidge addressed to him, but some in the group text talking about normal things.

RedCat: I'm awake now, what are you guys doing?

Hunkandproud: Currently making breakfast for Katie, who was up all night working on a project.

Pidgeon: Okay, so I might have been tinkering again

Hunkandproud: You're supposed to sleep the night through, your mom called me when you told her we were dating and told me to make sure you slept!

Pidgeon:.....

Pidgeon: Tinkering is a way of life thank u very much

SpacePrincess: Pidge, you know he only worries about you because he loves you, right?

Pidgeon: I am aware A

Pidgeon: Keith what are you doing right now?

RedCat: Going to have breakfast in a few

Pidgeon: have you made out with Lance yet?

RedCat: Pidge I'm coming back home, if you say that again I will not hesitate to commit murder

Pidgeon: Fine, what's his family like?

RedCat: His mom thought we were going to make out

Pidgeon: I like his mom already XD

Kashi: Okay you guys, stop bothering Keith and get back to what you were doing

Pidgeon: You're not my dad, Shiro

Kashi: Yeah but I will be one soon enough

SpacePrincess: :3

Pidgeon: No more mushy stuff please I can't deal or function twenty minutes after waking up

Hunkandproud: See and that's why I can deal with this low-matinence girl

Pidgeon: I'm not low-matinence I'm independent

Hunkandproud: Yet you made me carry you to bed a week ago

Lancelot: What were you two doing a week ago?~

Keith looked up from his phone finding his slightly damp boyfriend in a blue tank top and tan cargo shorts. He noted his toenails were painted blue. He leaned in for a kiss before taking a selfie and sending it to everyone.

"Lance."

"What?"

"Doesn't your mom make breakfast for us?"

"I wasn't planning to eat you right now, Keith. Maybe tonight?"

Keith was silent before grabbing his towel and racing out of the room, his face red. He locked the bathroom door as he went in and sighed.

Pidgeon: Aww! Cute it's Mr. and Mrs. McClain!

Hunkandproud: Keith doesn't identify as female Pidge.

Pidgeon: When's the wedding?

Lancelot: Keith, I know you're on

Lancelot: I'd so go for a summer wedding though

RedCat: I am literally in your bathroom I will not hesitate to smack you when I get back

Lancelot: Where?

Kashi: You all are so terrible.

RedCat: Stop before I tell your mom

Lancelot: As for as I'm concearned she's with Pidge on the matter~

What had Keith Kogane done to deserve such as boy like this? Whatever he'd done, he was pretty sure Lance had liked it so much he'd gone for him as soon as he walked into the club room.

But, whatever he was doing, he was pretty sure he was doing it right.

"Lance! C'mon some of us need a shower too!"

Keith unlocked the door to find a girl with black hair and green eyes, a little bit darker than Lance. She held a teal towel and looked more than upset.

"Oh. You're Lance's boyfriend. We only have one bathroom up here, and half the time he takes it for himself. I'm Emily, hope you enjoy the Cape."

______________

Longer than usual, but I'm trying promise.

XD


	16. A Slight-Mix Up

"You're fluffy."

"Because you gave me a huge sweater!" Keith struggled to get out of Lance's grasp as they both tumbled to the floor, laughing and mostly tired after their day at the boardwalk, and visiting all the little shops near the beach. It was freezing, but Lance had loaned him a sweater.

That was three+ times too big.

Keith was practically swimming in the cloth fabric as Lance pulled him closer, dotting his forehead with kisses. 

"Seriously get off!" He let him continue before rolling away, hitting his head on the dresser. Rubbing the spot where he had, both boys looked up as Maria cracked the door open, hair messy and in a robe.

"You two really need to get to bed, alright? I should know, Keith's going to be sore, and probably sick in the morning." Blowing a kiss to her son, she promptly closed the door. Purple met blue as they almost burst into laughter.

He yawned as Lance played with a strand of his hair. "Your yawn is so cute."

"Okay?" He asked, a little confused as he tossed off the sweater.

"Just like the rest of you!" He said excitedly, peppering him with kisses once again, a giggle tumbling out. 

"Please, I'm tired." He said, going limp in Lance's arms, which startled him, but he went with the flow, picking him up bridal style -which startled the latter- and putting him on the bed as he curled up next to him after turning off the lights, leaving only the moon shining through the window. It was still open, the light ocean breeze slightly salty and cool.

After a while, both fell asleep next to each other on Lance's twin-sized bed. Keith woke up a few hours later, and noted that his phone was buzzing. Of course, it was probably his, Pidge and the others were probably doing only what God knew. Since he was on the outside of the bed-the bed was up against a wall next to the picture window- he had to struggle for the phone because Lance kept his arms tight around his middle, but eventually he got his hands around the device.

1:31 am

Thursday, December 30th

New Notification:

12: 32 am Cassie-Dee: Where you at fam?

12: 35 am Cassie-Dee: Boo, you at home fam?

12: 41 am Cassie-Dee: Love you♥️

Wait....

This wasn't his phone, first of all....

And second of all, who was Cassie?

Plus it was 12 in the morning...which made it weirder.

Keith didn't panic yet, maybe this was his cousin or something. Attempting to slip out of Lance's grasp, or at least loosen it enough to escape, he slid to the floor as Lance rolled over. With a sigh of relief, he opened the phone, knowing Lance never left a code on his phone. Because he liked to think he was responsible...when he barely kept an eye on an elastic band around his wrist.

Blowing a strand of hair out of face, he faced towards the bed to minimalize the chance of Lance seeing him ruffle through his phone, due to the light.

Another notification almost scared the absolute crap out of his, almost making him drop the phone. Another one from Cassie...Dee?

Opening the messages app, he scrolled up to the beginning of their conversation. Right around senior year, if he could guess (almost an entire year ago, by the date).

They mostly talked back and forth about school stuff (this Cassidy Jane Myers-why Lance had her full name, he'd never know- was on the cheer squad senior year) and they had a group project in March. He mostly sent her pictures, she mostly didn't respond with anything interesting.

A picture caught his eye.

A blonde in a dark red dress that spiraled down her ankles until ruffles took over, the only thing seen under it where red heels. She honestly looked like she was about to stumble, only right about to fall onto Lance. Her eyes were almost the same color as Lance's, and Keith only got more and more suspicous. Lance had never told him about a girl, usually brushing it off as 'he'd never had anyone love him'.

And things only got weirder farther down. Keith got more and more worried as he scrolled, things getting less and less platonic. 

Cassie-Dee: See you for christmas, babe?

Lancealot: Nah, I'm taking my bf home

At least he was honest.

Cassie-Dee: New Years?

Lancealot: Sorry :p

Cassie-Dee: boo!

Cassie-Dee: college has got you swamped huh?

Cassie-Dee: if your bf is possesive, he's no friend of yours!

Cassie-Dee: or is it a girl?

Cassie-Dee: won't you at least tell me his name?

Lancealot: It's keith

Cassie-Dee: interesting.

Cassie-Dee: anyways, i'm coming for v day :D

Cassie-Dee: Love you!

Lancealot: x 10!

And that was the end.

Keith had been shocked multiple times in his life, and he'd learned not to really show his surprise anymore.

But when your boyfriend was implied cheating on you with a girl from high school?

No wonder he picked her over him. She was much better looking. Lance had probably only taken pity on him!

Putting the phone back, he thought about sleeping again before he pulled out his phone. His fingers fumbled for the keyboard, but eventually he put it in his pocket before deciding to grab the sweater and his shoes, quietly locking the door behind him and then sitting on the sand near the ocean, only a quick walk away from the house.

The sand was grainy under his hands as he sat facing the ocean and it's dark, blue waves crashing against the sand lazily. He hesitated before he looked up to the moon, and once he rubbed at his cheek, it came back wet.

Why was he crying?

What was his purpose in this life?

He honestly thought about raging about this new fact to Pidge, who he knew would always listen, but he could've been overreacting. Maybe they were just cousins, or really good friends. Maybe it was like that day at Chipotle, when Lance had only been acting for his Drama class.

Yeah, that's all that it was.

Even Keith knew that he was only trying to reassure himself of something that might not even be true.

But something that was most likely true.

Cassie probably deserved Lance more than he did. Oh well, there went his heart.

This is why he'd never had a boyfriend-or girlfriend in high school. They were just too unreliable.

And Keith had trusted Lance.

Taking a deep breath in, he calmed himself before he got angry. He'd see what'd happen tommorow, and later days.

Yeah.

Best plan of action.

Self-control.

____________________

Promise it's not what it looks like XD

Taking it off hiatus because guess what?

I ACTUALLY HAVE INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK


	17. The Eve

"C'mon! We go every year!" Lance begged. Keith rolled his eyes, before considering whether he wanted to stay at the McClain home for however long they planned to be gone at this 'friend' 's home. It was cold and all he wanted to do was snuggle with him.

His heart hardened at the events of the night before, but until he got any sort of sign it was no longer platonic, he'd confront Lance about it. He wasn't big on confrontation, so he'd let it be.

Just...the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Which is why he was halfway fuming over lunch, and as they walked back into the house.

Of course, Keith was also a great actor. Not in terms of drama, but in terms of hiding his feelings. It was what had led his parents to homeschooling him during middle school, and then realizing they had made a terrible mistake and put him in public school during high school.

He loved his parents, but they were a little on the quirky side sometimes.

Tossing on one of his shirts, he tied his hair up, and blew a strand of hair from his forehead. He decided against wearing the flannel over the white sweatshirt. He heard the blow dryer running, and he couldn't tell whether it was Lance or one of his sisters. The females in this family took looks quite seriously, Keith wasn't even going to kind of lie.

And a male.

Surprisingly, the phone didn't buzz for the rest of the night after he had slipped back in, obviously not on the bed -he'd passed it off as he had rolled off during the night-, but he was almost like a cat, just waiting for the metal device to make a sound after three. He had dozed off though, so any new ones he'd have to wait until late tonight to catch.

He felt kind of bad nosing around in Lance's texts, but like any good significant other....

No, that just sounded possesive.

Like Cassie -or whoever- had assumed he was.

Gritting his teeth, he knew he wouldn't be. Whoever she was, he wasn't letting himself prove her right!

And now he was all worked up again. Gosh darn it.

They left that evening, it was brisk outside, but it was warm in the car with the entire McClain family, and acapella, not to even kind of mention. He was more than relieved to get out of the minivan and back on stable ground.

It was still dark out, but the mansion was huge. If you could even call it that. It was bigger than the other houses, not to mention it was big bright and white, lights were on every floor.

"Lance!!" A sing-song voice that was triggering every part of Keith ran out of the house in a fluffy red, sparkling dress and launched herself onto his boyfriend. He gave him points for looking directly over to Keith with a slightly worried look. "You came!!"

"Of course I did, Princess!" He said, hugging back. The others had gone inside already, saying hello to the other guests. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"But you said you wouldn't come! You lied!" She pouted childishly.

"Well, I'm here now, right?" He asked, throwing an arm around her shoulder. He noted that he was halfway about to tackle someone.

He walked inside with the two of them as they joked back and forth, and Keith texted the others, feeling like a third wheel with his own boyfriend. Maybe he made a mistake going home with him.

"Oh! Cassie!" He beckoned her over after dinner. "I wanted you to meet someone!"

"Oh?" She sounded so innocent, surprisingly. Bouncing over like a butterfly, she came to stand protectively next to Lance, which in hindsight looked hilarious, she was shorter than Keith was, even in the tiny little heels she had decided on today. For the meek disposition he had seen all during dinner....it was a little out of place. And slightly worrying.

"This is Keith." He nudged him to say hello. He waited for a moment for him to say 'my boyfriend'. He didn't.

He waved, she waved back. "Keith, this is Cassie."

"He's my boyfriend." She mused, taking his hand in hers. He tried not to show it, but he could see Lance tense before Keith finished with this introduction, and wandered through the house. Throwing open a bathroom door, he closed it behind him, shutting off the light and locking the door.

He didn't want to be here anymore. And now her claiming to his girlfriend?! There was going to be a lot of explaining involved, or there would be no more 'us' for he and Lance to call themselves.

Sliding down against the door, he finally felt tears running down his face in rivers. He'd let himself be fooled again.

______________

After searching they entire house for him, Lance found him on the deck looking over the rest of Cape May. He could tell he was cold, he continued to shiver. Even Lance was cold, and he was really honestly worried for him. He didn't know how long he'd been out here, the chances for hypothermia...

"Keith...you should really come inside-"

"Go away."

"It's freezing out here, and you don't even have a coat on-"

"Go back to Cassie, whatever floats your boat."

He knew that Keith wouldn't listen when he was like this. Not from experience, of course, until now, but he'd been angry before. But he really needed for him to listen now.

"Cassie...isn't what you think it is. She's...clingy, and not to mention that where we are now, we weren't at a few years ago, we were about to lose the house, and she basically gave us the money to keep going. All because a note I was going to pass to someone else got to her first, and she thought it was love at first sight." He stumbled over his words a few times, and finding it wasn't detrimental to his health, he stepped a little closer, and finding it safe, he sat next to him.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you frigging say anything?!" Keith was upset, facing him now.

Lance had an epiphany at that moment. He had never mentioned Cassidy Moore to anyone in the cat club, because he never thought he'd see her again after she went to Paris to study abroad after high school. He wasn't lying, she was clingy as heck.

And he'd never bothered to tell Cassie about Keith. As far as he was concearned, he thought he was doing pretty good hiding them from each other. If he broke up with Cassidy, his family could possibly be in ruin. Like, Reynolds Pamphlet ruins.

Cassie made him listen to it.

Just to show you how possesive she could really be...

"I...I didn't know how." He admitted. "It's not easy to just go and say, 'oh yeah, I have this girl back home that basically saved my family from being kicked out of our house and she thinks I'm her boyfriend." he said pointedly, shivering himself.

Then he had yet another epiphany.

Keith was always cold no matter what.

Shoot.

Looking over to him, his eyes rolled back in his head, and only catching him by a hair, Lance realized he was practically turning blue. Well, not completely, but there was tinge of blue on him.

Hoisting him up on his back, he went back inside, the warmth bathing him in heat, and he sighed in relief. Taking the stairs two at a time -and trying his best to not drop Keith- he had almost made it to the front door with his older brother, when Cassie stopped him.

"Baby, where are you goin'? It's not even eleven yet!" She whined.

"Not in the mood, Cassie." He said, stepping out into the cold again.

"What? Why?" She asked quizzically.

"Like I said, not in the mood Cassie." He re-adjusted his grip on Keith, bothered by her many questions. Why had he put up with her? Everything was kind of coming to light now, thinking about how he'd explained it.

Saying things out loud really did make them make sense.

"Who is that, even? Why is he more important than me?!" She asked, stomping a foot. After hoping she wouldn't follow them to the car, she did anyways, and after giving instructions to Leo, he spun around to face her.

"He's my boyfriend, alright?"

"W-what?" She was quiet at first, the shock setting in. Then there was the telltale anger. Like always.

"YOU REPLACED ME!?"

Considering what he would, and could've said, he decided on the former, trying not to make her angrier than she already was.

"Yes. Because you are a toddler who doesn't know what priorities are, all in all, you're just a dumb blonde, who just managed to scrape by on me-not to mention- out of high school!"

Okay, so why was he mad now?

Oh right. Because she had 1) taken advantage of his sorta-kinda smarts in high school, not to mention 2) Lindsay had never gotten the note and she thought it was for her, not even checking the name, and 3) didn't expect this to happen one day?

What a bitch.

"Freaking! Lance! You'll pay for this!" She said as he climbed into the passenger seat. From any point of view, a girl in a bright red dress in the middle of the cold yelling into a minivan, probably looked absolutely hilarious.

"Ha, yeah right. When you learn to respect boundaries."

And with that, they drove off.

______________

Later they learned that Keith was suffering from exposure, but recovered in a day or so. Not all was forgiven, of course, but they were getting there by the time that January second rolled around, and they were eating bagels at three in the morning.

Well, Keith was. Lance was eating out of the cereal box.

"So....Cassie..."

"So what about her?" He asked, turning towards him. Ah, the familar feeling of him thinking you were slightly off your rocker. "You broke up with her, right?"

"Yeah." He answered. Sure, he'd been kind of terrible person doing it (he'd done it via text a few hours after the entire ordeal), but it felt good to get her off his back, his full, undivided attention on the beautiful person sitting in front of him.

Or next to him, because Lance was sitting on the kitchen table, and like any sensible person, Keith was sitting on the counter. "She's interesting, right?"

"Interesting isn't the word I'd use." He deadpanned.

"Pyschotic?" He offered.

"Not that either, she probably didn't know what she was doing."

"So at first you want to rip her face off, and now you're defending her?"

"Yes." He said, quieter now. Closing the cereal box, he gave a kiss, slightly startling the other, but a smile crossed his face either way. "You're such a-"

"Lovable idiot that you completely forgive for the last few days?" He asked, he knew he pressing his luck. But it never hurt to give it the old college try, right?

"Maybe." He mused. "We'll see."

"The donut shop is open twenty-four seven." He said, the keys jingling in his hands. The nebula of his eyes widened, and he lept off the counter.

"That's a yes then?"

"That's a hell yes."


	18. Lost

A month.

Then two months.

And then he wondered whether he could chuck the phone at the wall and he'd come through the door and ask him why his phone was in shatters. And then they'd hug and everything would be back to normal.

But nope, no matter how many times he walked into the club room or into wherever they were meeting said day, he never saw the raven again. Where was he?

He even asked around to the kids he never talked to, Nyma and Rolo, but they didn't have an answer either, and they seemed pretty honest when he asked every day. They always were busy, but gave him an honest answer everytime that he did come to them. While they had been pretty mean to him in high school....maybe they were turning a new leaf.

A long month of texting before he eventually gave up and returned to his school work, only checking his phone for texts from his boyfriend, but eventually his anxiety acted up once more and he just eventually left his dorm without it as not to worry himself.

Red stayed with Lance and Blue after he realized that he wasn't coming back, so he had to make sure he didn't step on the kitten while getting ready for school. She was just as slightly bothersome as who he was missing, as she was always underfoot, but he made it work. Not to mention she and Blue teamed up on him at night, as he found one or the other always on his face when he woke up and tried to take a breathe of air, but rather got cat fur.

However, he couldn't help like feeling he'd done something to make Keith run away.

It was too far-fetched after he'd gone to the police station and asked whether he'd came in, an the officer looked up the name and found multiple missing reports, leading them all to believe he'd run away, but Shiro wouldn't believe it, saying he probably had his reasons. Of course, Lance had every reason to be suspicious of his answer, Keith had never mentioned going on an impromptu trip, but after the events of New Years' Eve, well, he was more than afraid that he'd run away because of that.

That was until Valentine's Day, halfway through his second class of the day moping around, when his phone buzzed, startling the living daylights out of him as his notebook fell off his desk. Thankfully, his teacher only lazily eyed him before returning to the computer screen, clicking away. He silently thanked whatever had done that, before pulling out his phone and picking the notebook, not before poking himself with the loose end of the metal holding together the notebook, but he immediatly opened the phone after seeing who the text was from.

Unknown Number: I have to get my phone back

Unknown Number: i miss you

Who was texting him this early in the morning? Well, anything was early for him when it was before one, but oh well. He didn't have any idea who this could've been, for all he knew it could've been Cassie, since he'd removed her number from his phone.

Lancelot: Who even are you?

After that, the unknown caller didn't respond. The next time they did, however, it was on Thursday while they were at Chipotle, and again, it startled him.

"Whoa. You okay, Lance?" Pidge asked, sipping on a coke. "Look a little surprised there."

"This person keeps texting me, that's all." She beckoned for him to hand it over, and he slid over a little to see what she was doing. After a few moments, she pulled out her own phone to her contacts.

The numbers matched.

"That's what I thought." She answered, pushing her glasses up on her nose, taking a chip out of his basket and pushing her hair back. "It's the same person."

"They've been texting you too?" He asked as the others came back from throwing their things away.

"Yeah." she answered. He slid out of the booth to throw his own things away, returning to the others as they stepped into the frigid air. He slipped his hat over his ears as his phone vibrated yet again.

Unknown Caller: lance?

Lancelot: this is he

Unknown Caller: thank god i got ahold of you. pidge blocked me

Lancelot: like i asked earlier, who are you and why do you keep texting me?

Unknown Caller: ugh

Unknown Caller: I forgot this is Tiana's phone

Unknown Caller: Does Keith ring a bell?

Lancelot: my keith or some random that claims to be him?

Unknown Caller: i?? don't?? belong?? to?? anyone??

Lancealot: prove it

The photo attached was of Keith, easily, and a little girl in a hospital bed with flowers and balloons littering the room. He looked so tired, but he and the little auburn haired girl smiled. She was missing two teeth, her front ones, and freckles dotted everywhere. An IV went into her forearm, but she looked like his aunt.

Unknown Caller: believe me now?

Lancealot: Where even are you?

Unknown Caller: oh

Unknown Caller: i didn't run away, promise

Unknown Caller: my adoptive sister tiana got sick with leukemia again, she had it when she was six, she's eight now and i came back a month ago because she was almost-dead sort of sick

Unknown Caller: promise i didn't mean to worry you

Lancelot: really?

Unknown Caller: lance...

Lancelot: fine! fine! 

Lancelot: you should've told me you left tho

Unknown Caller: my parents literally came to get me at three in the morning

Unknown Caller: my phone is still in my room tho

Unknown Caller: i forgot it

Lancelot: oh

Lancelot: ignore everything i sent before a month ago

Unknown Caller: what happened?

Lancelot: nothing

Lancelot: just remember i love you!

As they reached his dorm and everyone waved goodbye, his phone buzzed with a facetime request from the unknown caller. He accepted, of course, and the little girl smiled back at him. "Hiya Lance!"

"Tiana, what are you doing?" He could hear Keith in the background. "Why are you saying hi to him?"

The phone was turned away from Tiana and Keith sighed. "You know it's like 9 where he is right?"

"But the sun's not even down yet..?" she asked as she turned the phone back to her. He could still see daylight, Keith must've been on the other coast if it was still light out. "Anyways! Keith says you're a good boyfriend. Is that true?"

"Tiana!" the phone was whipped away from her again, as she joked with her brother. 

"It's my phone Keith!"

"Yeah but-"

"No buts!" she said, then shifting and refocusing the camera on herself, and Keith was in the frame now. He rolled his eyes as Lance peeled off his sweater, leaving him only in a blue t-shirt. 

"I guess it's true." He shrugged, turning on the lights in his dorm room. "Y'know, today's valentine's day and I bought you a teddy bear."

"Look at what he got you!" she said giddily. "Ooo, you're so lucky, it looks so fluffy!"

"You want one too?" He asked. "See I can get another one-"

"Lance I swear to God if that's not there when I get back.." Keith deadpanned.

"But treat the princess like a princess Keith." He pointedly said, tossing off his socks and lying back on the bed.

"Keith! He called me a princess!" she said excitedly. "I'm a green princess!"

"I think Pidge has that title already, but alright!" he said smiling as she laughed excitedly.

They talked for a while, Tiana talking all about princesses and her condition in great detail. When she seemed tired, however, Keith and Lance said a hasty goodbye as he shut off the light and left the room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I've texted you millions of times on my mom's phone. Nobody answered."

"My phone blocks a lot of unknown numbers that come from telemarketers. I think I accidentally blocked your mom's though.." Lance said sheepishly. He had gotten a few from said unknown caller, so that must've been Mrs. Kogane's phone. "Whoops."

"That's the thing. I don't know when I'll be coming back. While Tiana is optimistic about it all, the doctors are saying that she's weak and might not make it this time around."

"Oh."

"That's why I left on such short notice. Tiana was adopted when she was three months old, so I've known her since I was a kid. I believe she's strong enough to do it, but she almost died last time." His eyes were downcast. "I'm going to stay for while, I've been taking online classes."

While on one hand, he really felt like something was missing without Keith there with him only a few doors down, free to do whatever they'd get into, Tiana meant much more to him than any old boyfriend, and that would be exactly what he'd do for any of his siblings, no matter what.

So to say the least, he nodded, understanding. "I'll come and visit though. Tiana says she wants to use her wish to go to Disneyland and bring you with us." he smiled. "I don't know when it is, but I hope it's soon. I miss you."

"Miss you too, kitten." He responded. "I'll come and visit. If you can take online classes, so can I."

"Lance I'm serious. I might not be back for a year or more. I'm going to stay however long it takes to have Tiana get better..or.."

"...Yeah. I get it." He said. "This isn't the end of...us, is it?"

"No! I mean, definitely not. I'll make sure that I text you as often as I can when Tiana doesn't have her phone." he said hurriedly. "I still love you."

"And I'll be waiting near the phone for you to call and say Tiana's healthy as can be and you're coming home, okay?"

"Okay."


	19. Video Chat

Video chats became more frequent to fill his days, at least so he knew he wasn't alone. Tiana was only awake for a few hours at a time as treatment wore on, so it was shorter and shorter he got to talk to his energetic sister, which he missed since he'd gone off to college. His mother, Beth, had come in a few times while he had been video calling Lance, and he had apologized sheepishly for blocking her number on his phone. It earned a laugh from her, which he had also missed. He loved his mom.

But, no one wanted to face the fact that Tiana was dying. Everyday that she recieved treatment, the less and less she was awake and aware of where she was and who she was in company with. All her hair had fallen out, but Beth had replaced it with a wig of curly brown hair, which looked so much like her real hair that Keith had mistaken it for hers quite a few times without realizing it. Her eyes lost the twinkle they used to have, she looked so tired. It seemed he would turn away for a few moments, and she would be asleep again before he could talk to her.

He just wanted to burn whatever had made her like this.

Not to mention himself, he watched over her while his parents were at work, and he worked late into the night on his online courses. He didn't heed his father's warnings when he said he'd get sleep deprivation, but he'd waved him off saying that he already had it.

He had been wrong, obviously. He could not count how many times he'd just closed the computer screen before contemplating how much coffee he could chug to get through the night. It never worked, he only ended up cracking the computer screen and gaining bags under his eyes.

Disneyland was always the talk the Tiana spoke of when she was awake and feeling up to it, but her doctor was firmly against her going, anything infecting her now could be fatal, her system failing more and more by the day. It was just depressing, Tiana had wanted to go when she was six, and had been denied. That's why she hadn't used her wish the last time, the stubborn six year old she was. 

Three months, it was March now and his birthday loomed in the distance. He had wanted to spend it with Lance and the crazy shenanigans he and his boyfriend had gotten into, but he just couldn't leave Tiana. Lance had promised to visit, but he hadn't seen him outside of video chats for quite a while now. Tiana had told him on her own that he didn't have to be here and stay with her, she would get better, and Beth and Carlo had also said the same thing, wanting him to finish up his freshman year with the people that he liked and treated like family. He had answered that they were his family and nothing would change that.

Of course, Lance was the master of brightening his days however he deemed necessary.

It was almost three a.m the last time he looked at the clock when he had nodded off, and then it was four thirty when the door cracked open, flooding the room with light. His eyes had fluttered open, and he almost jumped out of his own skin when Lance looked back at him with a handful of items, making a shush motion.

"Why are you here?" He whispered excitedly as he put down the laptop. "When did you get here?"

Pulling him out of the room gently, he closed the door behind them. "Two hours ago, actually."

"How and maybe why?" He asked again.

"My mom heard about what happened. She's actually downstairs right now, she wanted me to come with you, since your birthday is in a few months." he said smiling.

"You came here just to see me?" 

"No. Tiana too. But mostly you." he said, giving his boyfriend a kiss on his forehead. He yawned, rubbing at his eyes. "Is your mom here?"

"She isn't."

"She left you with Tiana?"

"No, I wanted to stay here. My mom is probably on speed dial if the doctors can't get me awake though."

"I should know, you sleep like a rock." He got a light punch for that.

But that was okay, they were back together as they talked outside of Tiana's room, Lance rehasing what had been happening since he had come to California, and it almost felt like he'd never really left.

Oh how he wished he could be home and be with Tiana at the same time.  
___________________

"Lance?"

"Yes?" He turned away from the window to look at the little girl who looked at him from her spot on the bed, almost buried in pillows as she shifted minimally to look at him.

"What's it like being able to go anywhere whenever you want?"

"Well-" he pondered for a moment. A few months ago, he had dreaded going to classes, trampling through the snow with Pidge and Hunk waiting for Keith to get back, but now looking at the frail pre-teen, he felt kind of selfish, she couldn't even leave the bed while he was complaining about the snow. "It's kind of cool sometimes, but I hate the snow."

She laughed quietly. "What's snow like?"

"It's cold, and white, and sparkles in the sunlight." He answered, gesturing with his hands. "You can make snowballs and chuck them at people like baseballs. However, when you meet Pidge, be careful around snowballs."

"I told Keith that he was crazy when he said he wanted to go all the way to New York. I like summer a lot better." she said. "You get to wear swimsuits an' go to the beach, an' go to Santa Monica pier, an' eat snowcones like no 'morrow."

"I wish I could still do that stuff." her face fell, and Lance immediatly thought about how there was a chance she would never see those things again. He didn't want Tiana to die, though he'd only known her for a few months, she already felt like a little sister after he made sure he always video chatted with her and Keith for a while every day. "Lance, what will happen to Keith if I die?"

"What do you mean?"

"Keith has never been good at making friends. That's why I was surprised he had you and everyone else. Will he forget about me?"

He surely answered this one. "Well, that's for sure, Tiana. He's so quiet." she cracked a smile in agreement. "And don't worry, if he does, which I doubt, I'll kill him on the spot for you."

She laughed that pretty tinkling fairy laugh of hers, laying back onto the abundance of pillows. "You're really lucky to have my brother, he really loves you, Lance."

"I'm aware." He said, ruffling her hair as she giggled again.

"Do you have any siblings, Lance?"

"Yes, quite a few, actually."

"You're the perfect big brother then." she grinned. "I'm glad Keith met you. He seems so happy."

He looked to his sleeping boyfriend, curled up in a chair snoring lightly. "Yeah, I am too."

____________________

Edit: 10:41 pm, 10/18/17

So ActuallyTrashlol is actually really cool! Check em' out for me?


	20. Bows

His birthday came and went, freshman year dissapeared over the horizon as sophmore year loomed in the distance, but Keith could finally put down his laptop and really talk to his sister, and on days when she was feeling tired or well enough to be left alone, he could go out with Lance again. Summer had rolled back around, Tiana's favorite time of year, and it was blazing hot smack-dab in the middle of July, however, Keith would've traded it for a snowball to the face from Pidge after two months of the heat. He only had so many shorts, he had almost worn them all out at that point as he tried wiping some of the sweat from his forehead as Lance excitedly pulled him along.

When they had gotten back at least half an hour after they probably should've been, Beth and Carlo were there with Tiana, his heart rate at least jumping to double what it should've been, "W-what happened?"

Tiana's eyes twinkled with excitment. "Keith!! I get to leave! I get to leave!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" she smiled, all of her teeth showing as she sat up, both of her parents confirming said information. "I can go to disney soon!"

"Is that all you care about?" he jokingly asked, sitting down next to her on the bed. She nodded hurriedly, making everyone laugh.

Tiana would be okay.

Thank the stars.

_____________________________

Bows, were what Tiana loved most.

Bows, were what she thought were prettiest.

So that's why he constantly checked on his flowers, wrapped in a red ribbon around the stems. Until he finally took them out of the car to walk up the steps excitedly, until he finally found the dorm room he was looking for. He was down dressed a little, a blue button down shirt and slightly skinny black jeans and converse, but he'd slicked back his hair. Keith would understand, downdressed for him was probably a red t-shirt and jeans.

"Hola como estas?" he knocked on the door, once, then twice. Nobody came to the door, but he heard meowing inside as soft pawing at the door. Red was awake. He put the flowers down, and stuck a finger under the door. The kitten pawed at his hand, so at least he knew he was there. "Go find Keith, Red!" he chided. The cat didn't move, however, pawing at his hand, and then a loose string on his sleeve. Herding cats was probably easier than commanding Red or any cat to do something. "C'mon Red..."

He sat there for a while, eventually lying on the floor looking under the door as he rubbed a spot on Red's head. She meowed and cried for her owner-at least that's what he wanted to guess- and whether he was in there or not, he didn't wake up. He hoped he hadn't been sitting there for so long only to have Keith walk up behind him, scaring the absolute bejesus out of him.

It was around six when he heard someone's feet padding towards the door, almost an hour after he had originally arrived, so he leapt up in excitement, a few bulbs from the flowers falling off, but he was excited all the same.

However, the other was half-asleep from the looks of it when the door unlatched and Red curled around his leg, meowing loudly. He yawned, rubbings his eyes, clad in black and red with the lion slippers he'd bought him for his birthday. "Good evening sleeping beauty."

Once his eyes had registered where he was, he looked over the other. "Oh. Are you...are these for me?"

He handed him the flowers, and Keith smiled. "They are." Lance answered. "Sleepover?"

"You're all dressed though, where were you going originally?" he questioned, picking up the finnicky cat.

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go down to that diner a few cities over, I mean, we won't be back for a while, but I mean, you're not even dressed-"

"Just.....I guess don't look. I'll change in a minute." Keith dissapeared down the hall with a pair of clothes as Lance sat on the bed. Red leapt up next to him, meowing. He rubbed a spot on her head with his index finger as he looked out onto the skyline from the one-person dorm. It was so pretty, and Keith had the two window coverings to the side, so he had a full view of it.

Looking over onto the nightstand, he saw various knicknacks, but a few framed pictures of a younger Keith and his family, and then a few unframed that were of him and Lance. It made him smile a little.

It was quite a while before the other returned dressed in an outfit similar to his own as he had his bag over his shoulder. "Where are you taking me, anyways?"

"Dashing as always." he winked, as Keith locked the door behind them. "Don't worry, you'll love it."

"How do you know that?" he asked skeptically. "I could hate it."

"Key word here is 'could'. C'mon, don't you love key lime pie?"

He was silent for a moment as they walked down the steps. "Who doesn't?"

"Milkshakes?"

Keith made a face. "As my boyfriend, I would think you'd know I was lactose-intolerant."

"Oh..." Lance said sheepishly, smiling a little, but he did feel bad for not knowing that. He'd never made it a point to tell him, so there was kind of a reason that he hadn't known. However, the other didn't make a big deal of it as they drove from campus for about an hour to the small spot that Lance had come to love since moving into his dorm. The ride over definitely wasn't quiet, with Lance singing off-key to a collection of Justin Bieber songs, and then him quieting down because he realized that Keith had been singing along to a Lana Del Rey song, with him threatening to murder him if he told anyone he could sing.

Why, he didn't know. His voice was so soft, yet his singing brought tears to his eyes it was so pretty. When he had gotten halfway through 'Video Games', Lance had noticed that one of the pink tulips he'd bought was pinned into his hair.

"Heaven is a place on Earth with you-"

"But Earth is halfway between heaven and the other place, isn't it?" he questioned. The other abruptly stopped singing to say that they were only song lyrics, but Lance just loved teasing the raven. By the time they reached the diner, they were in a fit of laughter.

Over dinner they planned the Disney land trip that Tiana was so excited for, and then just normal 'them' things, like whether or not the military would be first responders to aliens, and whether or not Area 51 really had aliens on it. Or whether aliens existed in the first place. Would they be green? Blue? Orange? Purple?

After finishing up, they stayed outside for a moment to look at the stars before something crossed Lance's mind. The car ride back was quieter, and Keith had fallen asleep by then. The lights cast yellow-orange light onto him, making him look like a painting as they drove down the highway back to campus. For once in his life, he knew there was no way he could eff this up. For once. Thank the stars.

Speaking of stars, he had to halfway drag Keith back to his room, but once he'd opened the door to the slightly messy dorm, his eyes lit up.

He'd spent all day yesterday sticking the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, and Keith stared in awe as Lance laid down on the bed after shucking his shoes off. He beckoned him over. "How did you even get them all up there."

"Patience yields focus. I knew you liked stars." he said, kissing his cheek. Whether it was the fact he was half asleep or whatever, the smaller kissed his back as Lance pulled him close. Keith fell asleep almost as soon as Lance put his arms around him, and then Lance a little while after.

All was good.


	21. The Little Loved One

"He's beautiful, Allura. What's his name?"

"Aiko." she answered, smoothing her skirt, balancing both the gurgling baby and messenger bag as everyone crowded around her, Shiro, and their son Aiko.

"He looks so much like Shiro, to be honest." Lance pointed out, making note of the dark hair and pale skin that was darkened just a bit with Allura's genes. "Not that he's not adorable."

"Understood." she answered, smiling back. Aiko had been born an entire four months ago, in the middle of the night no less. It was just now that the Shiroganes had brought him by the university, so that they could meet him. In that time, Lance and Keith had only grown closer, as friends, and as a couple. At least Keith was more trusting now.

Also in that time, Pidge had moved in with Hunk. She was slowly embracing her feminity, almost giving Lance a heart attack when she had gone with them celebrating Hunk's birthday, wearing a lace adorned green dress. However, she stayed true to her roots, that wasn't a very common thing that happened, as she would usually always be found in shorts and her sweatshirt.

It honestly seemed like nothing could go wrong for Lance now, he had friends, a boyfriend at that, and sophmore year had started, not to mention a new Steven Universe season was airing soon. He refused to let anything ruin this year for him. Nothing would keep him finishing sophmore year, nothing could keep him from Keith.

He found it more believable when he stood against the glass panel, looking at diamond encrusted rings with Hunk, Shiro, and Pidge.

"Lance, you don't have to literally judge each one like it's Miss America." Pidge deadpanned, sitting on a stool that the man had brought over, playing on her DS. "As far as I'm concearned, anything you get him will be satisfactory."

"Pidge, he might have this for forever! I want it to be perfect!" he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Whatever man. He loves you enough to accept a ring out of a vending machine. What does that tell you?" Pidge asked, not lifting her eyes from her DS. "That he will marry you anyways."

"But-"

"No buts, McClain. I swear to God you worry too much. You two are perfect for each other, nobody is going to change that."

"That might just be the most beautiful thing you've ever said, Pidge." Hunk said, pressing a kiss to his girlfriend's forehead.

"Don't expect anymore of it." she responded, her cheeks coloring a little. "I can only be so inspirational for so long."

"But, Pidge is right. If someone truly loves you, they don't care what you get them." Shiro said. "Allura loves the ring that I gave her, and she didn't mind that it didn't cost more than my house."

"And look at them now, they have Aiko. My logic has prevailed yet again!" Pidge smiled, looking up from the gaming device. "Admit it, I was right!"

"Fine. Pidge, you were right. But I still want to get him something special." he said, eyeing a silver ring with a purple diamond in the center. "Like that one. Is it bad that he makes me think of that one?"

"No..." Pidge trailed off, putting her DS in her sweatshirt pocket. "But! When are you planning to propose to him?"

"Why? Are you planning to film it?" Lance asked, a little suspcious now.

"What? No. I just meant I had an idea." Pidge said, eyeing him as if waiting for his okay. "You guys first met in the club room. If we can set something up....do you think you can do it then?"

Lance was quiet for a moment, contemplating his options. His first idea was to propose to him at a restaurant he'd found, the diner that he'd taken Keith to a few months ago, since he'd seemed to like it quite a bit with how vintage everything was, but it might be more meaningful to do it in the club room, surrounded by their friends. "Pidge, that's a great idea. You just seem to have a million and one ways to make everything better, huh?"

"What can I say? You're lucky to have me." Pidge answered. "If you want to buy that one, none of us are stopping you."

"Do you guys think he'll like it? Real talk for a minute here."

"I think it's pretty." Hunk said, kneeling next to him, looking at it in the display case. "Pidge?"

"It matches the color of his eyes, I guess?"

"Pidge!"

"Yeah, I think he'll like it." she said, eventually coming over from off her stool. "Shiro?"

"Like we all said, Keith will like it no matter what." Shiro said, putting a hand on Lance's shoulder as a well-dressed man came over to where they were looking at the ring.

"Would you like to make a purchase today?"

"As a matter a fact, yes I would."

______________________________

Lance found himself in front of Keith's dorm room yet again, at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon six days afterwards, fingering the box in his pockets of his dress pants, while holding another boquet of roses in his right hand. Knocking, he found Keith answered a lot faster than he had a few months ago.

"Lance?" Keith asked, looking over him up and down. "Why do you keep bringing me flowers? The others aren't even starting to wilt yet."

"Really? If I had flowers, they might have died by now..."

"That's because I'm good at taking care of plants?" Keith asked, smiling a little as he took the flowers. "Do I dare ask why you're all dressed up?"

"Uh, you can. We're all going somewhere, so I came to pick you up." he answered. "Unless you want to stay here tonight?"

"Nah. I'll come." he answered. "I'll be out in a minute."

Lance waited for him, and he came back out in his red button down and black jeans. "Ready?"

"For??" Keith asked quizzically. "Where did you guys go a few days ago, anyways?"

Lance had to think for a moment, trying to think of something believable. "At Hunk's place, binging Stranger Things' second season..."

"Okay?"

They headed down the stairs, Lance talking the entire way to try and not let anything slip. Keith didn't seem to notice, so he counted that as a win in his book. They turned the corner, Keith looking behind them. "Lance, the exit is that way."

"I know. I'm just picking something up from the club room." He answered, speeding up a little, letting the excitement get to him. Keith had to jog a little to catch up as Lance knocked.

"Uh-"

"Shush. Just wait." Lance said, earning a curious glance from the other. "It's fine, promise."

Pidge answered the door, glass in hand. "I was wondering when you guys would get here, come in!" Lance could tell Keith was surprised by what everyone had done, the lights turned down, with string lights along the walls illuminating the room. The risers had been pushed against the wall, opening up the room. A table had been set up, a little shabby at best, with folding chairs around it, but candles were lit along it and food sat on the table.

Pidge was wearing a green, knee length dress, it was simple, other than a belt an slight scoop neck, there was nothing notable about it. Lance, Hunk, and Shiro had matching suits, however all in different colors ("we can't be the same, Hunk! how will he tell me from you?"), blue, yellow, and black respectively. Allura wore a floor length dress, more of an evening wear rather than black tie, but she was gorgeous. "C'mon, come sit down!"

Eventually, they all did come to sit down. While the room itself was (if even) just a little tacky, the one thing that made everything better was that they'd ordered Panda Express, so it was better than eating something you couldn't even pronounce. The group had quite a bit of fun, playing a game of Never Have I Ever when Lance stood from the table, taking Keith's hand.

"Lance?"

"Just..look, Keith, never have I ever laid eyes on anyone more beautiful than you, no one who can put up with me more than you, nobody who loves me just for me before. I honestly wish I had met you before the second day of freshman year, but...will you spend the rest of forever with me?"

"L-lance, wait, are you-"

"Yes." he answered, getting down on one knee and opening the box to reveal the ring he'd picked out. "Keith Kogane, will you forever be mine?"

The room fell silent, a million and one things running through Lance's mind. What if he doesn't want to? What if I came on too strong? What if he isn't ready-

"Yes." he said quietly at first. "Yes! Lance I will!"

The room exploded into noise, excitement as Lance slipped the ring onto his finger, kissing him passionately. Pulling away, they smiled, happier beyond belief with what had just occurred. To say the least, neither was dissapointed in how this night had gone.


	22. Epilouge

An entire four years passed, Keith and Lance living together, weekly visits with the others after the cat club graduated. Hunter, their first son, had been adopted an entire year ago, developing beautifully. They were a happy little family. Nothing could be better.

It came crashing down all too fast.

A day at the park.

It seemed all so innocent, pushing each other on the swings, making memories with each other. Hunter had completed the couple, running around, playing hide and seek with them. Keith remembered the day so vividly, the sun had just begun to set, Lance making plans to eat somewhere. Since their apartment was so close, they hadn't bothered to drive, the three just decided to walk back.

Coming to a crosswalk, they began across, Keith walking ahead with Hunter while Lance was just day dreaming, watching the two people who loved him, and he loved back with all that he had.

A truck.

A truck had come barreling down the street, his heart stopping as Keith had bent down to help Hunter tie his shoe quickly, knowing they were in the middle of street.

This street had always been so calm.

Lance didn't even remember what happened that well, jumping in the way of his small family, pushing them out of the way as the truck hit him instead.

A scream from Hunter, Keith racing over as the truck had stopped, the nameless driver clambering out, apologizing profusely as Keith yelled profanities at him, angry as tears rolled down his cheeks, searching for a pulse as the driver dialed 911. Finding a pulse, he stayed there with Lance and Hunter until the ambulance arrived.

He and Hunter didn't sleep for weeks afterwards.

His husband, Hunter's father, had fallen into a coma, suffering from a concussion. The thought scared him as he cried on Shiro, falling apart after it had been three months since the accident. He didn't care about staying strong in front of Hunter, as they cried together.

His entire world crashed down a month later, when a doctor had pronounced him brain dead. They had only come to ask for Keith's permission to pull the plug on him. He was emotionally broken, calling all of Lance's family first, many flying down. The people he'd only met a few times comforted him for his loss, though it just didn't seem real. The boy he'd thought was so weird his first day at university, had become so much to him.

Even Cassie came, apologetic and understanding, listening to him rant about the carelessness of the driver, and just letting him cry on her shoulder.

He did quite a bit of that.

It made him feel powerless, being so soft now.

An entire two months later, Maria had made the final call. Keith's last words to him, whether he could hear him or not, was 'I love you' over and over again as the machine flat lined, a whining noise not even enough to drown out his tears.

What Keith didn't know over the years was that Lance had always been there, at his own funeral, with him as he sent Hunter off to school, all those little memories. When Dia de los Muertos rolled around every year, Keith and Hunter always accompanied his family to his grave. His spirit was always there with him, at times it made him so upset to see Keith so broken like this, but he kept up a smile for Hunter. The little ray of sunshine that he had during those hard times.

So many years passed, eventually even Keith's time came. Lance was there.

His body reached for him as the machine began to flat line, his spirit with him hugging his profusely as Hunter sat nearby, crying. As much as he didn't want to leave his son, his time was up.

They were later informed they'd be reborn soon, in time for the late 2000s, in time for the excessive space travel age. Excited by that prospect, they promised to find each other, wherever they ended up. They shared a tender kiss as Keith dissapeared first, Lance fading away a year after. He could only assume, as his memories were stripped away from him, that Keith was a year older now. How funny.

The first thing he saw, as a fussy little baby wrapped in a blue blanket was his mother. With no recollection of anything from his past life, he was happy to be warm and with his parents. His life went on, making friends, dating girls, none of which just...felt right for him. A spark had begun, when he first saw Keith's name at the top of training listings at the Garrison. It felt strange, but it felt as if Lance knew him, without ever meeting him.

It was the same with Keith, often seeing him across rooms, and occasionally hearing a scolding by an upper officer, talking to him about doing something wrong. It was all so strange. He felt as if there was something special about this particular boy, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

It all came together when the team was on a mission, Keith angrily arguing with Lance while walking down a Galra hallway. Someone fired, a shot heading straight for Keith as Lance pushed him out of the way, the gun narrowly missing both of them. That was when the spark Lance had felt about him had really exploded, the same for the red paladin.

They slowly became closer friends, the people they felt safest with, never admitting weakness to the other, however. It felt like everything they did, had all happened before. It was so strange, feeling as if Lance had saved Keith before, that one memory haunting him. It was slow going, Lance eventually realizing that he felt feelings for the red paladin, and later, the black paladin. Keith hadn't turned to anyone when Shiro had gone missing, Lance having to step up and try to help him. It took a long time, but Keith's walls began to fall, accepting help from Lance, emotionally and physically. When he'd gone to Keith about his worries for where he'd be on the team when Shiro came back, Keith had helped him out, reassuring him.

Lance's last chance came when he heard Keith was leaving them for the Blade. He couldn't hold his feelings for the former Voltron paladin any longer, eventually coming to find him hours before he left officially.

Surprisingly enough, Keith quietly accepted his feelings. It was surprisingly liberating, their hands brushing each others in the moment before the two kissed quickly. Keith dissapeared, leaving Lance with unrequited feelings until he had heard that Keith had almost sacrificed himself for the good of the coalition.

That had broken his heart, however hugging Keith tightly when he returned to the castle, not even caring about Lotor's option for recruiting him. It was all Lance and Keith right then.

He was hit with a memory, a dream, maybe, of Keith telling him that he loved him.

Keith had felt the same, rubbing a finger over his ring finger, where it should've been.

They had known each other before.

Their love had happened before.

It wasn't all a dream.

"I love you"


	23. 2000

Well. It's the end you guys! The book ends with the end of Season Four.

Will there be a sequel when Season Five airs? No. This book has haunted me since about June, when the first wave of writer's block hit. It really became more of a job to me to finish the book, so I just finished it off now. I'm sorry if it was a little crappy on my part. However, if you want to see a more detailed version of what happened last chapter...well you'll have to wait to find out, but there will be one :p

A n g s t i s m y m i d d l e n a m e 

Anywho, I hope you guys enjoyed this roller coaster of hiatuses and short chapters and plot holes. Like more future klance? It wouldn't hurt to go check out my Star McClain Series :D

Otherwise, I'll see you around my stars!

Love,

Lani

P.S I entered this book and Galaxies in the Voltron Watty's! If you don't mind, put in a vote for me!


End file.
